Sweet Irony
by Ryunn Kazan
Summary: Sequal to "Orochimaru wipes out the contestants" How did Anko's bond with Deidara, Ino, Itachi, and her love Orochimaru start? Well, read and find out!  Orochimaru/Anko/Itachi/Deidara/Ino, AU
1. Greetings Loved Ones!

Yo! Ryunn de clair Kazan here! "Sweet Irony" is memory of Hadden and Evee, the street kids I loved. It is also my down time when I need a break from "Martyrs" when I need a taste of something knew.

This is rated M for various reasons such as: sarcasm, animal/human relations, homosexuality, bisexuality, non-Christian prospects, mixed love, crack, violins, sweaters, and incest.

Yeah, I should probably go back to therapy after this.

Anyway, here are a few quirks/spoilers about the story:

Anko (19)-main character; had a broken childhood and wants to handle things her own way.

Orochimaru (25)-main character; had a blurry childhood but was discovered by Hiruzen who turned him into a man of the law. He took Anko in to keep her from going else where and has developed an immediate interest in her.

Itachi (19)-main character; left home at sixteen and has lived on the streets with Deidara since. Seems to have feeling for Anko moments after he met her.

Deidara (18)-main character; wise-cracking punk who doesn't want to give up his street-smart lifestyle. Seems to have mixed feeling towards Anko and is a sex partner to his cousin Ino.

Ino (18)- main character; parents are rich botanists, thus allowing her to get virtually anything she wants (except Itachi, which she hates). Is a sex partner to her cousin, Deidara and several other partners, which Itachi constantly points out.

Hiruzen (lets say…about 60)-side character; chief of the Konoha police. Seems to play a major part in Orochimaru's childhood and doesn't let him forget that. He cares about Anko enough to try to help her get off the streets, but has a dark aura to Orochimaru.

Jiraiya (26)-side character; friend of Orochimaru, and second and command in the Konoha police. He looks at Anko like a child, despite her age, and constantly teases Orochimaru about taking her in. He will be a shoulder to lean on.

Nagato (32)-side character; cancer victim and owner of the apartment complex Orochimaru lives in. Instantly grows suspicious of Anko, but finds her charming in a literal sense. Seems to be good friends of Orochimaru's. Loves his wife greatly; has a pet parrot.

Konan (28)-side character; Nagato's devoted and loving wife and owner of the apartment complex Orochimaru lives in. Seems to be good natured towards Anko. Has a pet parrot.

Anruku (10)- supporting character; Orochimaru's beloved pet snake. Anko fears Orochimaru has a great, almost sexually relationship with her. She is very possessive over Orochimaru and instantly dislikes Anko.

Karin (2)- side character; Nagato and Konan's pet parrot. Can only say Orochimaru's name, which agitates Nagato.

Other characters include: Itachi's family, Tsunade, Shizune, Ino's parents, and several other of your beloved Naruto characters

Time setting is in modern times, Konoha


	2. Previously from Next Contestant

So many thoughts were running through her head as she sank deeper and deeper into the warmth behind her.

Itachi…Deidara…Ino…they were fading so fast but there was something deep in her subconscious that was holding on to their memories.

_.,._

"_You're not like most girls." Deidara said through a puff of cigarette smoke. _

_Anko smirked at the blond male. "That's how I want to be."_

_.,._

"_Life is about dying; dying is about making choices."_

_Anko stared at the reflected stars in the Uchiha's eyes. _

_She never understood what he meant._

_.,._

"_Blood is so sweet when tainted by lust," Ino commented as she licked the cut on Anko's hand clean. "Wouldn't you say?"_

_Anko stared in astonishment. Even she couldn't fight the blond beauties charms._

_.,._

She gasped when she felt Orochimaru's arms tighten around her waist and heard him sigh deeply in her neck. "You should be asleep." He gogged

Anko frown, terrified; but how could she defend herself? The man next to her was a killer, a killer of her former comrades at that. She felt herself being turned onto her back and felt his lips on her neck. She swallowed as he started a process she would have loved if it weren't for the guilt creating bile in her stomach.

She wanted to tell him to stop, but she was scared beyond repair. She had witnessed his temper and anger spells countless times and had not once taken them whole-heartedly because he had sworn he would never hurt her, which was a promise he had kept until earlier that night.

But now she knew he could kill he. He could do it quickly or make it as painful as possible as he did other things.

She gripped him tightly to control the sob building in her throat. She tried to think back to a time when she was able to smile whenever she was hurt, when pain was never an option.

A time before Orochimaru came into her life and took her loved ones away.

* * *

**_Chapter 2: It's not easy being street rats, something Deidara and Itachi know best. But when a purple-haired vixen with a fiery tongue and a poisoned past shows up, some things are better than others_**


	3. No Life in these Streets

_2 years earlier_

.,.,.,.,.,

"I really don't like this." Itachi wined as he and Deidara scanned the streets.

Deidara smirked. "Relax, these kind of people won't miss a couple of hundred no way."

"It's still stealing." Itachi emphasized.

"Oh whatever," the blond teased. His eyes fell upon a man in a fancy jacket reading a newspaper. He licked his lips. "Follow my lead." He stood from the dumpster he was hiding behind and trailed the man unsuspicious. Itachi sighed and followed him, like he had a choice anyway.

Deidara reached a fingerless gloved hand for the man's wallet which was visibly hanging from the man's pocket, just begging to fall out. His fingertips pecked it and it fell right into his hand. "Yes!" he hissed. The man didn't even notice.

Chuckling, he turned to his companion. "Easy, hmm?"

Itachi shook his head. "Let's just go."

"No way," he opened the leather piece and searched its contents. "There's got to be at least a few hundred, let's eat something for once."

"If we're stealing, we need to save as much as we can."

"Oh come on Uchiha, live a little extravagantly."

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of large, brown eyes had been watching the entire scene. The bearer of the eyes was fairly surprised by the two's actions, so slick and skilled, not normal thieves. She glared as her stomach rumbled again and began to slyly follow the two.

The two boys skimmed quickly but unsuspicious to a restaurant coming out of the ghetto. "Smells good." Deidara inquired with a grin. Itachi still looked a bit guilt stricken but he was hungry; this would be their real first meal in almost four days.

A large man, most likely the manager of the estate, glared at them as they entered with their moth eaten clothes and slightly dirty faces. "I'm sorry but we're almost full; if you can't pay I'm afraid you're going to have to leave."

Deidara sat down at the counter and started rummaging through his pockets for the stolen wallet. "We have money you sack of wrinkles." Deidara spat. He searched the pocket he had put it in only to discover that there was a huge hole in it. "What the-" his shoulder was grabbed.

"You were saying punk?" the manager sneered as he began to harshly drag him out of the restaurant.

"Let go of me!"

Itachi shot up in front of the man and kicked him in the stomach, sending him back just enough to get Deidara free. "Come on!"

Deidara spat on the man before fleeing out with Itachi. They were barely out of the restaurant before they were grabbed by police officers.

"That's them!" someone shouted as they were forced into the snow. "Those are the bastards that stole my wallet!"

"Go to Hell!" Deidara shouted in the direction of the voice.

As a crowd gathered around the scene, little Anko remained in the shadows, the wallet that had fallen out of Deidara's pocket clutched in her cold red hands. Anko was tough as nails, she had learned to be since the day since she was thrown into child services where she was tossed around from foster home to foster home. But during those eight years of hell, she had developed a soft spot, a small one but one big enough to take control of her sometimes. At the moment it was pointed at the two boys in the snow.

"What do you want done to them?" The head police officer asked the wealthy man and the restaurant owner.

Itachi and Deidara were pried from the snow, their locks soaked and hanging over their faces. Deidara glared at the people restraining him from while Itachi just stayed passive but just as enraged.

"Lock their asses up!" the restaurant man announced. The rich one nodded in agreement.

They were starting to be dragged away as Deidara screamed. "Fuck all of you!"

"Shut up!" one officer said, kicking him in the stomach. The crowd broke out into laughter as Deidara coughed and doubled over.

Itachi gasped and glared at the man "You bastards!"

"You're next wise guy." The officer scoffed, lifting his fist to do justice on Itachi.

Anko's eyes widened and without thinking at all, her hand picked up a snow covered rock and hurled it at the offensive man's head. She gasped when it hit him dead in the temple and he toppled to the ground.

Itachi wasted no time when opportunity knocked. He swung kicks and punches to anyone who was holding him back and grabbed Deidara. "Get up idiot!" he dragged him for a few seconds until the blond got sick of being pulled through the snow and broke out into a weak jog.

"Get back here!"

"Move!" Itachi urged until both of them were running at a fast pace from the trailing police officers.

"You!" the man clutching his bloody head pointed to Anko. "You did this you little bitch."

All eyes were on her, something Anko Mitarashi was not use to. She locked her eyes on the man, glaring him down as he staggered to her; no one bothered to help. His giant hand shot up and got her cheek, the force throwing her into the snow.

"Little bitch." He spat before grabbing at her once more. "I'll be glad to lock you up, you worthless whore."

Anko glared out of her non-purple eye and jumped up, stumbling past the people around her and throwing some behind her to slow the officers down.

After running for nearly ten minutes, she found a fire escape and climbed up the rattling ladder as fast as her numb arms and legs would allow. She found a place to sit and tried to catch her breath. she cursed at her own actions, why the Hell did she help two people whose names she didn't even know?

She touched her swelling eyes; she'd never make that same mistake again.

Her ears picked up the sound of yelling and she crept over to see what it was...

.,.,

Itachi's eyes searched the entrance to the alley way before throwing a limping Deidara into it.

"Watch it asshole!" he shouted as he landed on his sore leg.

Itachi sat down beside him, panting from all the heavy lifting. He looked at his partner as he lifted himself into a sitting position and stretched his leg out to loosen the tense muscles under the discolored skin.

"You alright?"

Deidara smirked slyly. "Yep."

"Good." Itachi grabbed his collar and started to shake him fiercely "Because I'm going to kill you!"

Deidara gagged as Itachi tackled him and fought with him to get his hands off his neck. They cursed as the burning snow soaked into their clothes as they rolled around in it.

"You always get me into shit like this!" Itachi screamed at Deidara. "And as always I've had to drag your ass out of it!"

Deidara kicked him off of him enough for him to scoot back into a proper sitting position so that he could catch his breath. "Well if you hadn't punched that sack of grease covered wrinkles, we'd be somewhere else with another wallet and might actually have something to eat for once!"

Itachi slid down the opposite wall, his glared locked with Deidara's. "You know as well as I do that you weren't going to let something like that slid!"

"Well I didn't ask you to jump in and cause shit up!"

"You're the one who caused this! You always cause it!"

"It's only because I have an ingrate like you on my back all the fucking time!"

Itachi pointed a finger at him. "If it weren't for this ingrate you'd be locked up in juvie or some other prison where horny, old inmates prowl!"

"And you'd be right there with me buddy!"

Itachi shot up. "I'm not going anywhere with you; we're through!" he turned and stomped off, leaving a slightly gawked Deidara behind.

The blond's expression screwed into a nasty snarl. "Well…good riddance! I don't fucking need you!" he winced and dropped to the ground, holding his head tightly. "Fuck…" he growled. He breathed heavily at the gray sky as the cold ice under him seized the burning in the back of his head. "I don't need him…" he panted to the emptiness "I never needed him…"

A figure peeked down at him from the roof above. "If you want my opinion, you really do." Anko looked at the direction Itachi had stormed off at and smirked. "Besides, it's fun to watch little boys fight."

.,.,.,

Itachi slowly strolled along the evening streets of Konoha, his eyes locked on the ground bleached by the glowing colors of the various shops and hangouts. He was numb with cold and desired desperately to retire to the "home" he and Deidara shared. But the night would be uneasy if Deidara returned, their fights always ended in such a way.

He sighed and looked into one of his favorite places of the whole city: the "Spooky Angel" café and bar. The place was more than just a place a hangout for drunks and partiers, it was a refuge for the downfallen outcasts of the city, a place where they weren't shooed out the door for a lack of money or reputation.

It just so happened he had met Deidara there.

He had been six months younger and was considered a castaway from his own home by his father's hands because he actually wanted to control his own life. He had walked into the café and almost immediately thrown out by a drunken Deidara who was stumbling all over himself. After getting thrown up on and spending an hour finding the sorry excuse for a house Deidara actually owned thanks to his dead parents, a friendship was forced between the two that got them in and out of countless troubles.

His eyes widened at the thought of "trouble". Whatever happened to the stranger who got him and Deidara out of that scrap? He had never gotten a good look at the guy.

He growled irately. "Thanks stranger." He started to walk on again when a commotion stirred behind him.

"Hey you!"

He glanced back and his instincts went into gear when he saw a dark figure running after him.

He pushed bystanders in front of him and knocked over anything he could to slow his accomplice down. Strangely though, he could hear the strong patter of separate feet catching up to him.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Deidara left his dreams from the cold street as the sound of loud panting and metal clashing together became louder and louder. He shrieked as someone jumped directly over his rising body.

"Watch it you bastard!" he called out. He didn't have time to lie back down before another person repeated Itachi's action.

"What the Hell!"

"Sorry!" the person called back, a feminine voice.

Deidara stared in confusion at the retreating figures. Any smart person would have just left the whole incident alone, but Deidara had pure streets smarts and lacked most other intentions, so he followed.

"Wait up!" the apparent woman called to Itachi.

He dodged a wall, skidding to a stop when he saw that he was trapped. He turned to face his foe.

She stopped, putting her hands on her knees to rest. She lifted her head, panting and smirking at the confused teen. She wiped the corner of her mouth and strolled up to him. "Relax kid," she started rusting in her coat pockets "I just wanted to give you this…"

He shivered, expecting a knife or a gun or some other object that would be used to kill him. But as his breath stilled, he saw a leather wallet, the very wallet he and Deidara had stolen that day.

"What…"

She held it out to him, laughing. "You might want to tell that girly boy to fix that hole in his pocket before-" she shrieked as Deidara jumped on her back and tackled her into the icy slush.

"Ha! Let's see you try to shank my friend now bitch!"

"Deidara!" Itachi shouted out. "She's harmless!"

Deidara paid no attention and tried to pin Anko's arms to her back. "Harmless? She's trying to claw my face off!"

"It'd be an improvement you asshole!" Anko screamed.

Itachi walked up beside him and pulled him off of her. He then picked up the wallet from the snow and shoved it into Deidara's hand. "She was just giving us this."

Deidara stared at him, then the wallet, then Anko, and then back at Itachi. His face screwed into a scowl. "You stole it from us you little bitch!"

"What!" Anko exclaimed fiercely. "You're the one who stole it you blond-haired son of a bitch; I picked up when you pulled the stupid stunt of losing it!"

"Why you little-"

Itachi stopped him from charging. "Stop it." He turned to Anko who was brushing the snow off her tattered clothes.

She was a descent height, maybe the same as he and Deidara, but she was paler that them both with exception of her bruised eye and thin, which seemed to wash out what could be her very pleasing appearance. She may have been beautiful if she smiled.

She gave him a dirty look and turned back to the alley. "Salunora assholes."

"Wait!" Itachi called to her. Surprisingly she stopped and turned around, as if she wanted to listen.

He was speechless now, completely lost on words.

Deidara rolled his eyes at the ignorance and lack of practice he had with women.

"Come one kid I don't have all day." Anko growled impatiently.

Itachi cleared his throat and could only think of one thing to say: "Thanks. You know, for the wallet and…stuff."

Anko snorted. "Whatever."

He stopped her again; he suddenly didn't want her to leave. Maybe he was sick of Deidara's company. "Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?"

Anko looked at him with mocking, yet sad eyes. "What are you, part of a church?" she scratched the back of her hair. "Nah, don't have a home."

He walked closer to her. "Where are you planning on sleeping?"

She smirked at him. "Not in your bed if that's what you're trying to get at." She heard Deidara laugh in the back. Shrugging, she started walking off again.

"You could spend the night with us." He said suddenly. He felt Deidara's glare on the back of his head, but now that he had the offer out he had to finish his thought. "It's not too big, but there's a couch and a fireplace so at least you'll be warm."

Anko gave him a naughty look. "Don't you know it's dangerous to pick strangers up?"

He caught on to her little game and held out his hand. "I'm Itachi Uchiha. Give me your name and we won't be strangers anymore."

Anko laughed. "Damn kid you're nuts." But she took his hand and shook it roughly. "Anko Mitarashi."

Their hands stayed together a little longer than they should have been.

Despite her cold nature and being thrown in the snow countless times that night, her touch was warm and almost inviting.

His was cold, but there was a warmth under the skin that was misunderstood by everyone who didn't know Itachi first hand.

They were violently separated by Deidara who was trying to drag Itachi away from the girl. "Sorry chick, no room." He gave as his explanation.

Itachi snatched from his grip and glared at him. "There's plenty; she can have my room and you and I will bunk in yours tonight."

"What the heck?" Deidara scowled. He pulled Itachi off to the side to privately conversant with his comrade. "I'm telling you, this girl is going to bring us nothing but trouble."

"What's she going to do?" Itachi fought back. "Steal the busted Fridge and the moth eaten couch we have in that crummy house of yours?" he ignored Deidara's dirty look and continued. "She's all alone, just like you and me. Just one night okay?" he made him turn to the girl who was leaning on one of the walls and staring blankly at them as they talked.

Deidara stared at the girl impassively. He saw that her right eye was now a dark purple from her sacrifice. Usually, he wouldn't feel anything from this, but he gulped as he remembered the times he would look into the mirror and see a few bruises that his parents would gift him with after a hard night of meth and coke.

He gave Itachi a sour look. "Give me one reason why I should give you any favors; you said we were through tonight, so why should I give a damn about you or black eye over there."

"I can hear you." Anko called out, unnoticed.

Itachi smirked, he had seen this coming. "You came back; you do care."

Deidara stammered as Itachi laughed.

"Come on, we owe her."

The dirty blond shot the girl one last look before giving his answer. "One night, and then I want her gone."

"It's about flippin' time!" Anko exclaimed as she jumped up. "Now let's get to this palace of yours; it's freezing."

Deidara continued grumbling while Itachi walked beside Anko.

"So," Anko started as a means of conversation. "Why were you and blondy snatching wallets today?"

Itachi was a bit ashamed to answer, but maybe she would understand. "It's one of the few ways Deidara and I are able to survive."

She ruffled his hair. "What's the matter Junior, can't get a job."

He smiled with dry humor. "I can only manage yard work here and there, but getting something steady is very difficult without a proper education." His eyes went over her. "You look about the same age as me, why aren't you in school."

She shrugged uncaring. "Dropped out last year; it was getting really annoying." She smirked and shouted. "How about you blondy? Why are you a homeless bum?"

Deidara shot her a dirty look. "Why don't you mind your own business bitch?"

Anko growled and grabbed him by the back of his coat, turning him to face her. "Look you son of a-"

Itachi grabbed her before she could finish and kept a secure on her arm. He also had to stop Deidara from charging at her.

"Alright, this obviously is going to be a little complicated." He announced out loud. "But we're going to fix that," he turned a harsh look to Deidara who he was holding by the shirt collar. "Right, Deidara?"

Deidara tried to put on his best glare, but found it very hard to do with Itachi's snarl. Even he, a street punk, could get intimidated by the seemingly gentle Uchiha. He nodded in surrender.

Itachi turned to Anko. "Alright An-" He was shocked to see that she had somehow invaded his grip.

"Hey!" Anko called from several feet away. "You gonna show me the way or not?"

Itachi and Deidara exchanged shocked stares before separating and running after the strange girl.

/././././

"Well," Deidara sighed tiredly as he, Itachi, and Anko made it to the door of the run down, two-story household that they were currently living in. Deidara removed one of his shoe and brought out a key.

"That's creative." Anko commented to Itachi.

The door opened and a rush of slightly warmer wind hit them.

"I'll get a fire going." Itachi suggested, rushing past Anko to start a fire in the brick fireplace.

As the lights came on, Anko was able to see the seemingly appearing living room. The walls were a dark brown, but the light as the fire got stronger showed it to be more of a purplish color. Right in front of her was a flight of stairs, probably leading to the bedrooms. Beside that was a door that probably led to a kitchen. There was a maroon colored couch in front of the fireplace which Deidara was lounging on and a chair against one of the far walls.

"Well," Anko said, flopping down beside him. "It's descent enough to crash in."

Deidara shot her a tired glare and stood. "I'm going to bed; come on, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."

Anko gave Itachi a look, and he nodded his head in assurance. "He's harmless."

She sighed and followed the stumbling blond up the stairs. There was only one hall with one door at the very end and two in the middle, one of which he led her to.

He switched on the light and Anko discovered that it was a bedroom, a very plain one at that. There was a made-up bed with a dresser across from it, and a closet and window, but that was all.

"Pretty bleak." Anko commented, running her hand over the smooth, cold blankets.

"Fits Itachi's personality perfectly." Deidara hummed, leaning against the doorframe to keep his tired body standing. "But I bet you'll like it more than a dumpster or some other place homeless hookers spend the night in."

Anko glared dangerously at him and stomped up to him so that she could get into his face. "What the hell gave the consent that I was a damn hooker!"

Deidara chuckled, his eyes were droopy and a bit lost. "You look like the kind of girl a lot of guys would want to sleep with." He ran the tip of his fingers over her cheek. "You're…kinda…pretty…" he sighed, his fingers grinning her shirt and tearing her shirt as he collapsed on top of her, causing her to stumble back and land on her rear on the floor.

"Rape! RAPE!" she screamed as loud as she could until Itachi showed up.

He sent a dirty look to the barely conscious Deidara. "Damn it." He groaned as he pulled the deadweight off Anko who was trying to get her shirt back in decent shape. He got Deidara on his shoulder and started to apologize to Anko but his eyes hit her barely clothed chest instead. He couldn't help but stare at the creamy breasts hidden partially by the black tank top that was one size too small for the poor girl.

Anko cleared her throat loudly which snapped the flustered teens attention back to his companions head. "I'll…um…I uh…" he dragged Deidara out the door and started to the bedroom they were to share that night. "Bathrooms…down the hall." He said as he tucked his red face behind Deidara's and walked as fast as he could away."

Anko rolled her eyes and pulled her torn shirt off to deal with in the morning, turning the light off as she did so. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the streetlamp lighten room, she looked at the bed and smiled, screaming and jumping onto it and laughing at the fact that she hadn't slept in an actual bed in over a month. She inhaled the scent of the pillow deeply. It had a musty smell but it was perfect compared to some of the places she had slept in.

She kicked off her shoes and slid into the cool sheets, scrunching up to ward the shivers off. Her right eye was not throbbing as it had been in the last couple of hours, but she could still feel the police officers fist where she had been punched. She scowled at the ceiling bitterly. She wondered if that was the same cop who had dragged her out of her house when she was eleven years old.

Those monsters where supposed to protect people and keep families together; but they had torn hers apart.

She winced at the invisible sting on her arms as the cops dragged her away from her screaming mother. She remembered her hair being pulled from her skull as they separated her from her father's arms. And most of all, she felt the ache in her throat from the nights she spent screaming and sobbing for her parents.

She turned over on her stomach and buried her face in the pillow because she didn't want to remember anymore.

.,.,.,.,.

Later that night, Itachi as well was so troubled that he couldn't sleep. It wasn't the uncomfortable place he was lying down at, which was in a sleeping bag on the the floor, but it was his mind which was haunted with his current life and the life he had barely a year ago.

He wanted so badly to be a travel when he was younger, to see the places his parents never had. But his father was completely against it. He wanted his son to be something that would prevent him from ending up where he was currently at.

His mother understood to an extent. She wanted her son to be happy, but she wanted him to be happy fulfilling her husband's wishes instead of his own.

His little brother was probably the only one who understood him. Of course, it was natural for young children to cling to their oldest sibling, but Sasuke down right worshiped him. He always encouraged Itachi's dream, and would spend countless rummaging through maps and books about the places Itachi wanted to go; he wanted to go with him.

But, little Sasuke was in his second year of high school. He would soon have to fall into their father's trap or choose the life Itachi was living.

To be honest, he preferred the first for his Sasuke. There was no life in those streets for him; there was nothing at all. Well, there was the constant hunger, and the occasional fights with total strangers. Oh yes, and the cold nights that you had no choice but to spend outside on a bed of garbage sacks.

Itachi swallowed the deep regret and tried to focus on something for positive.

Anko.

She was like a light in his dark life. She seemed so carefree and lively, but there was a deep gap inside her dire soul.

He suddenly wanted to see her, but he needed to have a reason so that she didn't think he was some kind of pervert who spied on half naked girls while they were sleeping. He looked to see if Deidara was still asleep in his bed; he was, and snoring softly on his stomach.

Smirking, Itachi pulled the extra blanket off the blond, causing him to stir from the sudden loss of warmth, and went into the direction of his own room.

He knocked on the door softly. "Anko?" he whispered. He cracked the door slightly and was greeted by a much cooler gust of air than the hallway. He peeked inside. "I…thought you might need another blanket." He saw that the covers were in a wad and the bed it's self was empty.

"Anko?" he looked around until he saw that the window was slightly abjured…

.,.,.,.,.,

The roof was cold, but she was so numb that it didn't make much difference what the temperature was. She stared up at the star filled sky, so clear and crisp during that night. It gave her a sense of peace, a feeling of renewed joy at the thought that nothing could take those stars away from her.

"So," Itachi announced his arrival as he flopped down beside her. "I'm guessing my bed was too lumpy?"

She smiled. "It felt too weird, sleeping in a guy's bed."

He snorted with good humor. "I find that rather insulting."

"Well," she shrugged "Get over it."

He chuckled and followed her stare to the sky. "Wow," he commented lowly. "I'm surprised we can see the sky in this city."

"It's the only lively thing in this place." Anko added with malice.

Itachi saw her crestfallen expression and felt the need to comfort her. "What happened today…not everyone in this city is like that you know. We just ran into bad people at a bad time."

Anko shook her head. "Everyone is like that Itachi, in any city. People are just cruel and nothing can change them."

Itachi slid a little closer. "You're not cruel, and neither am I. And Deidara…well, he's just suffering from withdrawal from putting his cigarettes down right now; he's really okay."

Anko smiled and closed her eyes. "When I was a kid, child services took me away from my parents." The hands on her arms tightened. "And guess why. They took me away from my mom and dad all because they fell behind on a few fucking bills. I have spent seven years in and out of those fucking foster homes and one on the street because of what the people in this city put me through."

"…Anko-"

She jumped up and screamed to the city: "THE PEOPLE IN THIS FUCKING CITY THREW ME INTO A HELLHOLE ALL BECAUSE MY PARENTS WEREN'T LIKE THEM! I WILL NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN BECAUSE OF THEM!"

Itachi jumped up and held onto her to keep her from falling off the roof. "Anko please calm down!"

She froze, letting him pull her back to prevent from slipping. He was warm, welcoming even, and actually caring.

She gently pulled her arms from his grip and said, "If there are good people out there, I sure as Hell haven't seen them. To be honest, I rather spend the rest of my life alone on these streets than one among these monsters."

Itachi lowered his head and thought about what she was saying. This girl, this complete stranger, was so much like him. She found her happiness in the truth instead of the life someone had tried to force on her. She was alone, but she found happiness in her suffering, just like he was trying to do.

She finally looked back at him. "But hey, don't you start a pity party for me. After all, I will be leaving tomorrow and out of yours and what's his names life."

A load hit Itachi's stomach but he concealed his emotions. "Yeah…"

Anko could see the sadness in his eyes. "But Hell, maybe we'll meet up again. You know, I might save you and blondy from getting arrested one day." She held out her hand for Itachi's, and he took it.

"I have a feeling it might be the other way around." He drawled.

There was that spark in their touch again. The familiarization between two strangers, yet two people who knew each other so well.

Anko's sensitive ears picked up the sound of sirens ringing in the distance.

They turned to see a myriad of police cars and an ambulance entering their neighborhood.

"Uh-oh, someone's in trouble." Anko laughed.

Itachi squinted his eyes and noticed that the cars were starting to come to a stop…right in front of their lawn.

"Oh no." he gasped.

"What?" Anko questioned. "What is it?"

He looked at her and then at the horrible sight of one of the cars screeching to a halt.

Anko caught on but before she could say anything was dragged. She was led down the fire escape she had used in the beginning and tried to push her into an exiting alley. "Run." Was all he said.

"But what about-"

"Don't worry about me. I'm going back for Deidara, you just get the Hell as far away as you can."

"But-"

"Do it!" he shouted a little too roughly. He saw the concern in her yes, but he cared more about getting her and Deidara out of harm's way. "Just…" he heard a crash, the sound of the door being broken down. Itachi rushed to the fire escape and waved for Anko to go away. "Run damn it!"

Anko watched him disappear through the window. Would she ever see him again?

.,.,.,.,.

Itachi pressed his ear to the door. He could hear harsh voice spitting our commands, but he had yet to hear Deidara's.

He sighed in relief and made the bold, and maybe stupid, attempt to open the door. The police had yet to search up stairs, which gave him the opportunity to run to Deidara's room and forewarn him of the danger. He tiptoed across the hall, holding his breath to prevent even the slightest noise. He twisted the knob and painstakingly pulled the chunk of wood open. He quickly slipped inside, closed the door, and crept to Deidara's bed where a large lump slept.

His hand was hovering over his shoulder when the blond jumped up and hit Itachi with great force over the head with a baseball bat.

"WHAT THEN? COME ON YOU BASTARDS BRING IT-" He stopped his wail of victory when he saw that his best friend was laying on the floor. "Shit!" he cursed, struggling out of bed to examine the unmoving boy. "Hey," he whispered. "Itachi answer me!"

After a few seconds, the Uchiha groaned.

"Thank God." Deidara silently thanked, but out loud he said, "What the Hell were you thinking?"

Itachi, from his place on the floor, glared at him. "I have this stupid obsession with saving you ass."

Deidara smirked and started to sit him up. "Where's that girl?"

"I made her run." Itachi dragged. His body kept drooping, as if he wanted to lie down.

"No." Deidara commanded. "Come on Uchiha, stay awake." He smacked him gently on the cheek a few times to keep him conscious but the sleep of wariness finally took him.

"Damn it!" Deidara swore loudly. He picked up the sound of heavy footsteps on the stares and laid Itachi down gently, grabbing the baseball bat and readying himself for the worst.

The door burst open and a group of police entered, stopping when they saw Deidara. "That's him!" one said.

Deidara let out a war cry and charged at the man, swinging the bat wildly. He didn't know if he hit him but all he knew was that the bat was still going and more officers were falling around him. He smirked in bloodied triumph as he got closer to the opened door. He'd come back for Itachi as soon as the cops were off his back. And then he-

Anko looked up from her little corner in the alley as a bang so loud that the people on the other side of Konoha rang to her ears.

She jumped up and readied herself to run as the air stilled, and the world became silent. But she felt her steady muscles melt as a scream ripped past the silence.

"No…"

The scream increased.

"No!" she ran back to the house without thinking at all. If they were hurt…she would never be able to forgive herself.

"Itachi!" she screamed as she stumbled into the doorway. Sickeningly enough, she was a bit relieved to see that it was Deidara who was holding his thigh with two bloody hands. She rushed past the police officers and got on her stomach so that she could be at his level. "You okay?"

He looked up at her with an angry, pained expression. "You were supposed to run like Hell you little-AWW!" he screamed as one of the officers stretched him out so that they could put the handcuffs on him.

Someone grabbed Anko and stretched her out as well, slapping cuffs on her.

"Let me go you son of a bitch!" she struggled.

The cop threw her to the ground beside Deidara. She flinched when she felt something hot seep through her pants leg. Deidara's blood.

She heard heavy footsteps and soon enough Itachi was thrown down beside her, handcuffed and drowning in a pool of his own blood. She slid to him as best as she could to check on him. "Itachi?" she begged in a panicked tone. "Itachi please open your eyes!"

His dark lips scrunched together and then revealed dark brown, slightly annoyed eyes. "I…told you to…run…"

She smiled. "I have this obsession with saving your asses."

A weak smile spread over his lips before his eyes closed once more.

Before she could react, her body was jerked up harshly.

"Hey-" her chin was yanked up to a bright light and she struggled to get away from it.

"Well, well, well." A gruff voice spoke.

The light lowered slightly and she saw the barely familiar face of one of the police officers she had attacked earlier. She glared at him as he grabbed her shoulder. "I'll take this one; get the other two to a hospital, but take it slow."

"You bastard!" Anko screamed, earning a hash tug.

She stared out of the dinted windows of the car and watched as two paramedics reeled a stretcher into the house. She didn't know who they wheeled out first because the car sped off with her in it.


	4. A Deal Unmade

Anko awoke with a gasp as something freezing cold landed on her face. She struggled but a stable arm held her still.

"Easy, easy…" a gruff, but kind voice spoke.

She opened her eyes, or at least the one that wasn't covered with an ice pack, and saw a man with a warm, tan face and long white hair.

He smiled. "You got quite the shiner here, but I don't think you'll suffer from any sight problems once it heals." He stood back to give her some personal space; he was very tall.

Her entire body was sore, and she couldn't remember the details of what had happened a few hours back. She looked around and saw that she was in a wide room surrounded by bars.

"Where am I?" she questioned the tall man.

"Konoha police station." He answered gently. "Apparently you and those boys were causing a bit of trouble yesterday so we have to keep you here until someone-"

"Where are they!" Anko demanded, latching onto the man's shirt.

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"Itachi and…I can't really remember the other guy but they were the ones with me last night when they…" she froze when she remembered the blood that she had fallen in. She looked down at her clothes. Someone had dressed her in an oversized grey shirt to replace her ripped one, but the jeans she had worn were still rusty red.

"Are they dead?" she whispered.

The man laughed gently. "No, no sweetie. Your friends are just beat up; I'm ashamed to say some of our police officers aren't well trained to handle rebellious teenagers."

"Hey buddy, they started this shit, so don't give me any crap about rebellion!" Anko growled.

The man dug his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out a card, handing it to her. "My name is Jiraiya, and if you want to get out of here, I suggest you treat your probation officer with a little respect."

"Probation-say what?"

He smirked. "I took the difficult task of taking you on, since I've had dealt with a number of cases similar to yours."

"There is no case!" Anko shouted. "The only crime committed here was that I didn't kill those sons of bitches when I had the chance!"

Jiraiya clapped his hands together. "Confession! That's what I'm talking about!"

Anko stared at him as if he were a lunatic, which he gave the first impression of being.

He stood, his expression as cheery as ever. "The judge is going to go a lot easier one you that way if you keep this up!"

"…What the…" she couldn't find the right words. She was tired, pained, and in shock of the man's strangeness. Not to mention his appearance was just downright weird. The green sweater he wearing along with the wart right on the side of his nose and white gave him the impression of a toad. A hairy, large toad, not exactly a hideous one but one that she would never date.

He opened the cell door and opened his arm in a polite gesture. "Ladies first."

She scowled at him and stood, letting her wobbly legs adjust to the new position. She staggered after him and followed him down the too bright hallways. Her entire body was numb with both heat and cold and her head was swaying to the point where she felt she could throw up. The fact that Jiraiya was talking a mile a minute wasn't helping her at all.

Jiraiya looked back at her and stopped her gently. "You okay sweetheart?"

"Quit calling me that," she groaned, blindly popping his hand away.

He smiled. "I know what you need." He led her to a chair and sat her down. "Stay right there okay?" She only glared at him, but he was satisfied with her answerer enough to leave her alone.

After a minute of sitting, Anko felt slightly better and was able sit up in her chair. "My head is killing me!" she murmured out loud. "I can barely feel my own touch, and I'm starving!" she looked around with glassy eyes. There were people all around but not one seemed to notice her.

"I wonder where that Toad guy went." She said to herself. Her hard eyes became sad. "I wonder where Itachi and what's his name are." She started to mentally list out the possibilities. "Could they be here too? They were injured, so they might be in a hospital."

She gritted her teeth. "Why the Hell should I care! I barely even know them! I wasn't supposed to make friends with them, just mess with them and get the Hell out! That's all that-"

Out of nowhere, a woman with short black hair approached her.

"What can I do for you?" She asked in an annoyingly cheerful voice.

Anko looked up at her with a drunken expression. "Huh?"

The woman pointed behind her. "You're at the reception desk, and I'm the receptionist so…" she clapped her hands together. "What's up!"

Anko stared at the crazy woman for a moment and argued over the idea of telling her to go away or strangling her. But an idea came to her instead. Opportunity was knocking loud and clear.

"I…just wanted to tell you how great of a job this police station is doing!" Anko stated in a false, equally cheerful voice. She stood and smiled. "Keep up the good work!" she rushed away from the now confused woman and walked to find the nearest exit.

The woman stared after her, contemplating if she should go after her, but then she saw Jiraiya approaching and immediately went back to her work.

"Hey Shizune." Jiraiya greeted as he turned to the waiting area. "Here you go kid, grape's all the…" he almost dropped cans of soda he had when he saw the place he had left Anko was gone.

"Shizune!" he hissed with a urgency. He pointed at the seat. "There was a girl sitting here. She was all banged up, and she might just have some injuries the paramedics over-looked. Did you see her?"

"Um…" Shizune squeaked. "There was a girl here but she-"

"Call security!" Jiraiya commanded as he jogged into an opposite direction. "Tell them not to let anyone leave this station until that girl is caught!"

.,.,.,.,

But unluckily for them, Anko was already a block away. She had stopped in front of a book store to catch her breath and get her shredded thoughts together.

Where could she go now that she was practically a fugitive? Would they even come after her?

She scoffed to hide her own concern. "Like it matters; it wouldn't be the first time I out ran these cowards anyway." Shoving her hands in her pockets, she walked through the cold streets. As she did so, she caught the sight of a hospital entry.

"Itachi…could he be in there…I wonder if he's all right…"

.,.,.,.,.

"Hey…" Deidara whispered so that the nurses outside wouldn't come back in and knock him out. "Itachi, you awake man?"

Itachi rolled his feeble head into the direction of the blond. "I am now."

Deidara laughed, both in relief and in mockery at his comrade's weakness. "Looks like I got us into another one, hn?"

Itachi chuckled weakly. "You've gotten us into worse." He looked at his comrades hoisted limb.

"Although, this is the first time you've actually gotten us into a hospital."

"First time for everything huh?"

"I suppose…" the Uchiha's started slipping again to the girl who had disappeared late during the night. "Hey, how do you think Anko's doing?"

"Who?"

Itachi frowned at him. "You're kidding right."

Deidara made a bitter face. "I remember, but I don't want to."

Itachi sighed, there was absolutely no way to get through that guy. "You do realize that she saved our asses that first time right?"

Deidara tried his best to turn on his side to get a better glared fixed on Itachi. "We would have been better off without her. We're in a hospital now, at least if she had left us alone I wouldn't have a bullet in my thigh and you wouldn't have a concussion."

Itachi growled. "If it weren't for her, we'd be rotting in a jail cell or even in the morgue of this very hospital." He turned his back to his sputtering partner. "Besides, the concussion thing was your fault."

"Now wait just a damn minute-" Deidara stopped when he heard a familiar yell coming from the hallway just outside the room. Even Itachi expressed his interest and turned back on his side.

There was a crash and the person starting the commotion became more and more familiar to them both.

"Just peachy…what the Hell could _**she **_want?" Deidara dragged.

Itachi covered his head with the sheets. "I'm dead, all right?"

"I wish I were you then." Just as Deidara finished that sentence, the door to their little room burst opened and a tall, blond, and pleasantly beautiful girl stepped in, a scowl on her face and a pocket book in use as a weapon over her shoulder.

"You think that fucking nurse could get a damn room number right!" The girl complained as she pulled out a seat by Deidara's bed. "No wonder so many damn people die up in here."

Deidara frowned in disgusted sarcasm. "What's up…Ino?"

The blond shot Deidara a glare. "Don't give me that shit! Have you gone crazy as Hell? Do you have any idea what I had to go through to get to you and…" she glanced over at the opossum Itachi. "him, out of the police's shit so that you wouldn't wind up in Juive?"

Deidara shrugged and lied back down. "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

Ino pulled the pillow under his head and slapped him with it. "You just keep that shit up Deidara." She stood from him and walked over to Itachi and pulled his blanket away from him, but she was a little kinder with her greeting.

"Hi Itachi…" she said in a sexy tone.

"Go away." Itachi groaned, turning his back to her.

Ino turned her nose in the air and looked away from him, slightly humiliated. "Whatever." She pulled her pocket book out and started pondering through it. "Look Dei-Dei, I got dad to wire me just enough money to get you and Lame Brain over here on bail but you owe me fucking big time."

Deidara smirked and snuck a look at her luscious backside. "I plan on it…"

Ino caught him and gave him a disgusted smirk. "You wish."

"How'd you convince your father to give you that kind of cash?" Itachi questioned to change the subject.

Ino scoffed "If you must know, I pulled the little princess routine and..." She pointed a checkbook at him. "You and Deidara are the outcome of it."

Itachi stared out the window sadly. "You shouldn't lie to your parents, even if it is for friends."

Ino rolled her eyes, she hated his depressing ways. "He won't find out anyway. You know my dad, he just has to spend a week at those botanist meetings and he comes home without a memory."

"It's wrong neither less."

"Oh whatever." Ino growled. "I'm gonna go see if I can talk to the doctors about letting you out early." She waved a hand "Chow."

Deidara's eyes lingered on her back side as she walked; it was the sickest thing in the world to be attracted to your own blood, but when that kin was hot as the fires of Hell, how could one resist?

"You're a sick man." Itachi commented dryly.

Deidara shot him a dirty smirk. "Jealous?"

Itachi huffed in response. "Disgusted is the correct term."

"Whatever." Deidara said as he folded his arms behind his neck. "At least she's useful unlike _some_ girls I know."

"Let it go Deidara." Itachi sighed exhaustedly. He wanted to let the spitfire leave his mind and completely erase her from his memory. It was the only way he could get on with his miserable life, if that's what he could call it.

"Alright boys," Announced Ino as she re-entered the room a few minutes later. "Get your crap together, we're out."

"Thank God." Deidara cheered as he tried to free himself from the leg restraint, which turned out to be a painful process in itself.

"Get me out of this fucking thing!" He screamed, struggling violently.

"Deidara cut it out." Itachi warned.

"Now damn it!" Deidara demanded all the more. He crashed to the floor, twisting his wounded limb which caused him to scream in pain.

"All for Christ's sake!" Ino huffed, pulling a pocket knife from her purse and cutting the sling. She stared down at her delirious cousin. "Idiot." She said as she folded the knife up.

"Humph." Deidara grumbled.

After making sure that no one was heading their way, Ino rolled the dazed Deidara out of the room. Itachi, using crutches, was directly behind them.

"Ah!" Ino exclaimed as they reached the partly cloudy world. "Feels great to come out of the death house, huh?" she turned to Itachi for an answer, but he was already walking ahead.

"Whatever."

As they left the hospital grounds, the hiding Anko stuck her head from behind one of the walls surrounding the area.

"They're out." Anko commented to herself. "That was fast." She watched Itachi limp beside and the newest addition to their little alliance who was pushing the unrecognizable blond along. She felt the urge to run up to them and make sure they were really all right, but she couldn't risk getting caught, not with her only chance of freedom hanging on such a short thread.

"Good luck guys." She whispered, disappearing into the wind.

She ran as fast as she could through one of the exiting alleys of the hospital, wanting to mix in with the unrecognizable people as soon as possible. She had no idea what she could do with the police after her, but she knew that if she hid non-stop and fled the city, she might have a greater of chance of getting away. Maybe they wouldn't even come after her; she wasn't too much of a prize after all.

She slowed down to a walk and finally just stopped. She wasn't **anything**. She almost got Itachi and what's his name killed and now she was running from the law like a common criminal. What good is someone like that?

She punched the wall next to her and slid into the snow. "I hate this."

While Anko was loathing in her self-pity, someone else was taking a gander at her. This person had been watching her since she ran away from the police station, and was quite impressed with her actions. This girl had fire in her, which was something he craved in the people he went after. This was going to be fun.

Anko's ears perked when she heard the sound of footsteps scuffling in the snow. "Who's there?" she demanded, getting into a fighting position.

A gentle shadow made its way to her, and Anko's eyes widened. This creature had long hair, so much darker than sin, and a complexion worthy of death, but with the illusion of life blinding her. Then those eyes met hers. She felt frozen, and not at all from the cold. Those were the eyes of a tamer of man. Her tamer. The man walked up to her slowly, and Anko noticed that he was very tall. He knelt down to her level and Anko was instantly hypnotized by the angelic face that stared into hers.

"Are you all right, miss?" the man questioned as he brushed a strand of hair out from her face.

Anko shuddered and managed a weak nod. "Yeah…" she said as the man helped her to her feet. "Just, uh…a little freaked out." She smiled nervously. "And…uh…it's…**my name **I mean…is…An-Anko. Mitarashi Anko."

The man's eyes widened before he smiled strangely. "Anko? Such a unique name; not to mention an excellent **treat** for this kind of weather."

Anko laughed, giving the man a light punch in the shoulder. "Cute, and a sense of humor, huh?"

The man eyed her strangely, but smiled politely before rummaging in his pockets and pulling out, to Anko's horror, a police badge.

"My name is Orochimaru; I'd like you to come back to the Konoha police station and answer a few questions, Miss** Anko**."

Anko backed up. "Um…sorry…I've got to get going. Yeah, it's late so I should go."

Orochimaru hid a smirk, knowing good and well she had nowhere she could go. "Well then, at least let me take you where you need to go. Where is your home?"

Anko froze. "Home?" her fist clenched. She wanted to ask what the Hell a home was, but the hurt wouldn't allow it.

Orochimaru was watching the shaking of her muscles. He knew from the second he saw her face that this was the girl who had fled the police station over an hour ago.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to be a least a little considerate. "Let's get you back to the police station, Anko."

Anko shot back around snatched herself from his grip, horror in her eyes. "I'm not going back!"

He held his hands up in surrender. "Calm down. You've had a lot of people looking for you. If you want things to go smoothly, I suggest you-"

Anko shot off before he could finish.

"Wait!" he called after her. He growled and trailed off in her direction.

Anko threw people out of her in order to get away from the stranger. She could feel him catching up with her, and she was almost certain that she didn't stand a chance. She looked at the cars swerving off to her side and thought that she could lose him in the traffic. She inhaled and jumped into the maze of cars, dodging the ones that came to close to hitting her.

She was in the middle of the street when she missed a sewer opening and fell down. She scrambled to get up but the fall had knocked the air out of her. A loud horn blew in her ears and she looked up to see a massive truck, unaware that it was less than a few feet away from running her.

This was it. It was over.

Suddenly, a pair of rough hands grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her to her feet before throwing her onto the sidewalk.

"Hey!" she was about to shoot around and ram the person in the gut but was restrained by the cold metal snapped around her wrists. She was pulled tightly against a warm figure and Anko could feel a strong heartbeat through their back.

"Let's go." He snarled, now being remembered as the cop from earlier that had saved her.

"No, you **let go**!" she struggled more and tried to kick him but he only tightened his grip on her.

"You're really starting to get on my nerves." Orochimaru growled in her ear, now dragging her down the cold city streets.

.,.,.,.,.,.

The Yamanaka mansion was truly a site to behold. The household consisted of four floors, which included over twelve bedrooms, and distinguished bathroom and kitchen, as well as a magnificent garden to greet it's current visitors.

"Here we are!" Ino shrilled as she practically threw Itachi on the expensive couch. "There, nice and comfy!"

"Speak for yourself." Itachi mumbled as he repositioned himself.

Ino rolled her eyes and turned back to Deidara who had been carelessly thrown on a matching armchair. "Let's get you upstairs." She sighed, hoisting him on her shoulder.

"Just put him in your room." Itachi mumbled. "He's just going to end up there anyway."

Ino glared at Itachi but did not retort; it was true.

Itachi smirked slightly, lavishing on the sound of Ino's retreating stomps. He had won. Again. He sighed and reached for the remote. He honestly hated TV. It was all just one lie of happy families, trustworthy salesmen, and men with guns who claimed to kill people for a cause. However, he was physically disabled and needed something to distract him from the increasing headache.

"…_in other news, Konoha authorities apprehended three minors believed to be involved in some of the recent burglaries in Uptown Konoha…"_

Itachi sat up, sudden highly interested with what the red-haired news woman had to say.

" _Two of the delinquents were released in a family member's care early this morning, but the third member, the only known female of the group, escaped from custody before being re-arrested an hour ago and will remain in custody until…" _

_Could it be…_

"Ino!" Itachi screeched, struggling with his crutches. "Ino, get down here!"

A red face peeked out from up-stairs. "What?"

Itachi was up, and heading for the door. "I need you to drive me to the police station right now."

"What?" Ino questioned, prancing down the stairs. "What the Hell for? You just got out of-"

"There's a totally innocent girl behind bars; I have to get her out."

Ino rolled her eyes. Itachi's "Goodie-goodie, Oh I need to do the right thing ALL THE TIME" nature really got under her skin. How could someone so hot have such an annoying conscious?

"Why," she scoffed, striding up to him. "Did she give you a good fuck or something?"

Itachi froze, his hand just an inch above the knob.

Ino smirked, wondering what the great Uchiha mystery was going to do. She had always craved his attention. He was one of the few men in Konoha, hell, the world, who she couldn't wrap around her finger.

One she couldn't get in the bed with.

His dark eyes turned on her, and she shuddered. He threw his crutches down with a crash and slowly limped towards her, an irate expression on his usually passive face.

Ino gasped and smiled as Itachi pressed himself to her. They had never been this close. Itachi's hand slid out and scaled down Ino's side; even the smallest of gestures caused her to moan.

…_A good fuck…_

The blond's eyes closed and she let everything slipped away, more than willing to let the Uchiha destroy her. A clink of metal caused her mind to function again. She stared in a blush as Itachi dangled the car keys in her face and clutched them before heading back towards the door and slipping out before Ino could stop him.

Embarrassed and frustrated (sexually that is), Ino sprinted after him. He was already at the car, all she could do was yell. "Itachi you bastard," she screamed after him. "If you get locked up I'll be damned if I bail you out again!"

The car roared to life, and Itachi was gone.

Ino shrieked and punched the magnolia wood door, creating a crater three times the size of her fist. "That son on a bitch!" She pulled the door shut while her fist was still deeply embedded in the object. She continued to curse him as she trotted upstairs, hastily pulling splinters out of her stinging flesh.

Deidara was sitting up in his bed, a curious look in her eyes due to all the commotion going on below him. He watched Ino in silence as she stormed into the bathroom, screaming all sorts of accusations about Itachi at him as if he knew all the details.

As if he cared.

"That fucker! Gets me all jacked up just to walk away and with my damn car!" She threw a bloody hand towel at the wall. "The next time I see him, I'm cutting his damn _four inch long _wiener off!"

Deidara chuckled. "Technically, he _drove _away."

Ino slowly turned to him. Despite her furry at Itachi and the rest of the world, she was glad Deidara was around. His uncaring, sarcastic arrogance was what she needed when her physical stress was pint up for too long.

She strode up to the crippled youth, feeling more empowered at the way he gulped as she pressed a knee between his legs. He hissed when her hip brushed against his damaged one, but all other sounds were cut off when she pushed him down. She licked her lips. "How well can you fuck with just one leg?"

Deidara smirked straight through the pain. He loved it when she did this. "Let's find out…"

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Itachi was certain that he might have almost hit someone on his way to the police station, but his conscience didn't respond to it until he pulled up into the police station. He struggled to get out of the vehicle, throwing the crutches to the ground with a curse and jogging off without them to save time. If Anko went to jail because of his and Deidara's misdeeds, he'd never forgive himself.

Many people stared at him as he rushed through the bright hallways, but he was looking for one let of eyes only, and they were dark-brown and angry. He had once known these hallways by heart, being dragged in and out of them several times with Deidara, but after a month and a half of staying out of trouble, the system was a blur.

A burst of pain welled up in his skull, and the throb brought him to his knees. He felt like this skull was being forced apart while it was still whole. He was going to kill Deidara if the pain didn't kill him first.

The feeling of a separate presence crashing down in front of him caused him to jolt.

"Are you all right?" A gentle, but annoying voice spoke.

Itachi slowly look away from the white tiles. Orange and red blurs blinded the woman's face, but he still could put her appearance together from the tone of her voice. She was probably middle age, with a short hair style and plain clothing.

"Do I need to call a doctor?" she spoke again.

The pain slowly died down, and Itachi remembered his mission. "Um…no…that's fine." The woman placed her arms around his shoulders and tried to lurch him to his feet, which was very awkward for both of them. She walked him to a bench and watched him closely as he recovered.

"I'm looking for someone." He explained while rubbing his eyes. "A girl, about seventeen or eighteen years old at least. Dark…" he couldn't remember the exact color. "Dark hair. And brown eyes. Very brown eyes."

The woman was deeply concerned, but she knew this man could have been easily delusional and it was regulation to take caution in such a situation. She put on her best smile and stooped to his height level. "My name is Shizune honey. I work at the front desk over there," she pointed to her workplace, but Itachi's eyes didn't follow. "I'm going to find someone who can help you."

Now Itachi looked at her. He had heard that tone several times before, and each time he was either thrown into the streets or, if the kindness of the world had pity on him, he'd get a night in a warm jail cell. He couldn't this time. He had to prevent someone else from going into one.

"Okay," he whispered in a low voice, like a child waiting for a surprise.

Shizune nodded and paced to her desk, immediately picking up the phone.

Itachi looked around for an escape. His face was calmed, but his head was fleeting with thoughts.

The hallway he had been heading into led to the holding cells; that's where Anko would most likely be. If he could make a break for it, he could find her, and explain the whole bloody mess before it got anymore out of hand. His path was abruptly blocked by two large men.

Their eyes were on him.

Itachi gulped and looked away. "Not now…" He watched them begin conversation with Shizune, their sights landing on him occasionally. Itachi was not going to get thrown out. He readied himself when they men pulled away from the desk and headed for him with grim expressions.

"Let's go boy." A large one said as he reached for him.

Itachi gripped the arms of the chair he was set in. "Not a chance." His head connected with the man's stomach, and after recovering from his stumble, he was off.

"Wait!" Shizune shouted as the Uchiha sped past her desk with the infuriated guards slowly on his trail. She hastily picked up the intercom next to her computer, dropping it twice before finally getting a tight grip on it.

Itachi jumped over a bucket of suds, but the toe of his shoe knocked it over and he was punished for his careless act by slamming into the slippery floor. The warm water seeped into his clothes, weighing him down. He couldn't let it stop him though, not with those goons' just mere feet behind him and Anko's future on the line. He jumped up, slipping several times before his slippery padding made contact with dryer floor and he was able to dash off while the guards dealt with the same dilemma he had moments before.

He was at the holding chambers. God, please let her be there.

"Anko?" he called as he pushed the heavy door open. A series of whistling and dirty calls slapped him, but he outwitted the sling and searched past the caged scarred faces and normal hair colors. "Anko, are you h-" A large hand grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him to the icy bars.

"Hey beautiful." The rusty voice rasped. His free, disgusting hand slid down to Itachi's groin, "Wanna party?"

Itachi jolted forward, slamming into another cell where there were more dirty inmates waiting to greet him. When the man-handling became old, Itachi threw himself the ground, giving up hope that Anko was among these swine. Before he could pick himself up, a sickening ache dug into his skull. This was worse than last time. His head was being pulled into two parts by an invisible demon. He tried to hold his head together but the demon was too strong and drowned him into an ice-white oblivion.

_Anko. Forgive me._

.,.,.,.,.

She couldn't stop glaring at him, the man who had saved her yet had imprisoned her all over again. She hated this stranger, this bastard of a person. Orochimaru. Despite the fire she felt towards him, she couldn't stop herself from savoring on the way his name sent twisted chills into her head. She wanted to say it, let each syllable roll off her tongue, but he was right in front of her and wouldn't let her live it down. She wished he would stop staring at her. His eyes were focused on her in a curious fashion, as if trying to figure out what she was all about. He was close to succeeding.

"Would you **please** go away!" Anko whined, crushing herself deeper into the wooden bench she was forced to sit on.

Orochimaru shrugged, he was still a little irate from their earlier struggle. "Sorry dear, I'm not allowed to trust your word for it. Besides," he gave his neck a rub, "I really don't think my body can handle another chase."

Anko snorted, trying to hide her nervousness. "You should be retired by now." she looked him over to exaggerate her point, but be the looks of him, he couldn't be a day over twenty-five. She looked away, slight blushing, "How old are you anyway?"

Orochimaru shrugged in good humor. "I'll be turning twenty five in less than a month."

Anko rolled her eyes. "How the Hell did you become a cop then?"

"Language." Orochimaru lectured. "And I graduated from high school a lot earlier than most of my peers and developed a career in law."

Anko snorted, less than impressed. "I knew there was a reason why I wanted to rip you head off when I saw that badge."

Orochimaru wondered what she meant, but before he could question her, the door opened.

"You can leave now, Orochimaru." An aged voice said from behind her. She glanced back and saw a tired elderly male, probably in his late sixties, holding the door open for the tamer while his other held a manila folder.

He looked away from her for a moment to respond to the man's suggestion and then looked back at Anko, smirking. "I'm not too sure I should do that old man, this one's very untamed." He ran a hand through Anko's shredded locks and jumped back as she shot from the bench to attack him. However, she was impeded by the cuff he had cleverly restrained her to the bench with.

"I'll kill you, you son of a-"

"Orochimaru," the elderly man's voice rose immensely, "Out!" He added with a snarl, "And it's Hiruzen-sama to you."

They both shuddered; surprised a man of his age could be that loud. Orochimaru did a slight nod to him and exited to the door. He stopped. "See you soon, Miss Mitarashi."

"Don't count on it." Anko growled. She closing door blocked away her view of him, and Anko felt as if she were a princess and an eternal curse had been lifted from her. She was content for the first time in days, but her feeling was abruptly erased when the elder slumped down to her level and undid the cuff on her wrist.

"Okay miss," he sighed, dropping into a chair behind his desk and pointing to an opposite one, "let's see how we can get you out of here."

Anko rubbed her skin. Despite the man's rough and exhausted appearance, he seemed very gentle and kind. But he was authority, and whether he was really going to help her or not, Anko disliked him instantly.

"You can help me by telling me exactly why I'm here." Anko growled, slumping into the offered seat. She was tired, and wanted more than anything to get out of the enclosing building she was in and find a bag of trash of sort to sleep on.

"Easy now." The man warned. "I'm old, it takes me longer to go through all of…" he struggled pulling a piece of paper from another. "These damn papers!" he snarled.

Anko held back a smirk. This might just be the next best way to pass time.

After a moment of grunting, cursing, and throwing an object every now and again, the man, Hiruzen, placed the file he was holding down and looked up at Anko. "Anko Mitarashi." he sighed.

Anko panicked.

He chuckled. "According to your file, you were quite the student before you dropped out of high school." he pulled out a report card of hers, the last one she ever had, which was over three years old. "All A's, surprising considering you were gone three out of five days a week."

Anko glared at him. She was ashamed that he knew this about her, but was not going to let him hold it over her. "You try being shipped back and forth between foster homes and see if you can get your schedule straight." she hollered. "The only thing of mine that didn't get throw out or sold for dope was my school books," her voice lowered some. "I needed something to do."

Hiruzen nodded. "Why'd you quite then? You could have had such a bright future."

Anko snorted. "No one excepts gutter bums old man." She looked away. "No one."

Hiruzen flipped through a few more papers, but didn't read them. He saw a lot of potential in this child, but saw a darkness that was slipping past the pores of her bruised skin. She reminded him of another youth he had saved from that fate, well, barely saved. He had to help her.

He leaned back in his chair in a professional manner. "I understand you assaulted a police officer yesterday night. You know that can get you at least five years-"

Anko jumped out of her chair and slammed her sore wrists on the table. "What the Hell about him huh? That over-weight son of a bitch tried to kill two other boys, doesn't that matter?"

Hiruzen remained calm, but couldn't help the way the corners of his mouth lifted. She was just like his ex-pupil, Orochimaru. Their tempers matched, and so did their need to protect those closes to them. However, Orochimaru didn't have too many to protect anymore.

"I was just asking for the truth, Miss Mitarashi. You have no need to worry, Officer Chang is on an extensive leave to learn how he could have better handled the situation."

Anko froze in surprise, but then smirked. "Good. I hope he stays gone for a very long time."

Hiruzen shrugged. "Anyway," he closed the file shut. "I can't say that we have much of a reason to hold you in custody any longer."

"I can go? Hell yeah!"

Hiruzen smirked. "Well, yes, but as of now, until the board can decide where to put you, you are under house-arrest."

Anko stood up straight. "House-arrest? What the Hell, I'm nineteen damn years old?"

"And," Hiruzen added, "a former runaway, a witty delinquent, and as of now, custody of the Konoha police department."

"You can't-"

"Just because I've let you off with a slap on the wrist, doesn't mean the board will." Hiruzen cut in. He watched her pale, and reassured her. "Your case is very inconsequence; I hardly doubt they'll take it highly. But just to prove you don't cause a threat, I'd like you to stay with one of our officers, maybe find a descent job or pick the books back up."

Anko turned to the door. "Not going to happen. I hate the cops in this city and I rather sleep in a whore house than in one of their homes."

Hiruzen flinched. Orochimaru was right, she was going to be a tough one. However, twenty years of dealing with worse youth than her had prepared him. "It's just a suggestion, a good one if you want to stay off the streets."

Anko's shoulders slumped some. She really did not like the idea of sleeping in a garbage can, and the idea of an actual bed and food that wasn't a month old was intensely enticing. She sighed. What other choice did she have? Itachi and Blondy had probably forgotten her by now.

She turned to Hiruzen, her face drawn in defeat. "Who did you have in mind?"

Hiruzen smirked with satisfaction. "Well I thought one of our female members would more appropriate."

"Whatever." Anko said. "Just get me out of here before I start tearing these walls apart." She put on her jacket, well, what was left of it.

Hiruzen led her out, and suddenly, the world didn't seem all that evil. Everything seemed brighter to Anko, happier. It was strange, but she would welcome it.

"Hi!"

Anko flinched at the high-pitched shriek coming from her right. She looked up and stared at the woman she had duped hours before. Why was she being so kind now?

Shizune ran out from behind her desk and grabbed Anko's hand. "I'm Shizune! It's so great to meet you!"

Anko's arm was still shaking when she was released. "Uh, likewise."

"I mean…we met before…but it was rather unofficial don't you think…"

Hiruzen watched how the girls interacted. Shizune was a bit more jovial than Anko, but she was kind, and would most likely proudly make a home for Anko. Just as he was about to bring it up, a firm hand grasped his shoulder. He looked up to see Orochimaru staring at him with an urgency in his eyes.

He pulled him to the side, sparing a glance at an awkward Anko having her ear talked off by a chatty Shizune. "What's wrong?"

Orochimaru now had his attention locked on Anko.

"Orochimaru!" Hiruzen hissed.

"Hmm?"

He resisted punching him. "What did you need?"

Orochimaru blinked a few times and tried to focus. "Yes, huh…" he cleared his throat and turned his back to the girl. "It's not all that important, but one of the officers found an unconscious boy lying in the inmate chambers."

"And?"

"There was blood pouring out of his ears. We've sent him to the ER, but we're still trying to figure out why he was here."

"How old was he?"

"He didn't have any identification; he was just some kid off the streets I suppose."

Hiruzen sighed. "So much for getting home early to hug my grandson goodnight." He rubbed his eyes. "I'll look into it." He pointed back at the girls. "Make sure Miss Mitarashi and Shizune make it home okay."

Orochimaru looked back at the girls and smirked. Anko looked agitated as Shizune continued on. He wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she made another run for it. Well, he should help her out, shouldn't he?

"All right Miss Mitarashi," Orochimaru cut in. "Let's get going, shall we?"

Anko glared at him. "I beg your damn pardon?"

Shizune also looked at him with question.

"Hiruzen-sama has allowed me to take Anko to my apartment until he can decide on permanent arrangements."

Shizune blushed slightly. "With…you?"

"Hell to the no!" Anko protested. "I don't know what meds that old coot is on but he is not about to tell me where the Hell I will and will not go!"

Orochimaru shrugged, readying his trap. "If that's how you truly feel, I'm sure Shizune here wouldn't mind you bunking with her for a few days."

Anko glanced at Shizune who just lit up with joy. "Oh yes! You'll love it Miss Mitarashi! I have all kinds of clothes you can try on-and Ton-Ton will just eat you up!"

"Ton-Ton?" Anko dragged.

"Oh he's my pet pig-"

Anko grabbed Orochimaru. "Where's your ride?"

Orochimaru smirked with satisfactory. "I'll show you." He waved at the flustered Shizune as he led Anko along. "See you tomorrow."

Shizune waved slowly, slightly frozen. She barely knew Orochimaru despite working with him for about two years and was worried about him taking liberties from that poor girl. She sighed and returned to her desk. What else could go wrong?

.,.,.,.,.

The holes in Anko's coat did little to protect her against the icy wind devouring her flesh. The only real warmth she felt was coming from Orochimaru's hand which was tightly woven between her fingers and she really did not want to let go.

"Here we are." Orochimaru spoke.

Anko looked up, expecting to see a vehicle that had some kind of heating system in it, yet there was something more…eccentric …in its place. Orochimaru pulled a helmet off a beautiful black motorcycle with a seat large enough for them both plus another. Oddly enough, she expected something this creative from him.

He chuckled at her gaping mouth. "Is it not to your liking?"

She closed her mouth quickly and rubbed her arms. "You'll get sick riding around on it in this weather."

Orochimaru shook his head. "I'm use to the cold." he handed her his helmet, insisting that she take it. "Besides, I live just around the corner."

She was hesitant, still not trusting him. This man just appeared out of nowhere, like, corny enough, a fallen angel. But she didn't believe in angels. She didn't believe in a lot of things that used to make sense. But anywhere was better than a building with people she hated. She snatched it from his grasp and situated the safety device. "If you get us killed, so help me God..."

"I'll do my best." he replied and turned the engine on.

Anko took the space behind him and crossed her arms; damn it was cold. Orochimaru was staring at her, which made her self-conscious and annoyed. "What?"

He gave her a suggestive look. "You have to hold on to me Anko, or else you'll become part of the pavement.

"Son of a bitch!" Anko growled. She awkwardly searched for a way to hang onto him without really touching him.

Orochimaru pressed on gas, causing Anko to squeal and grab him before she could fly back.

"I'm going to kill you!" she shrieked.

Orochimaru drove off, his hands tightening on the handlebars as Anko's arms squeezed his waist with increasing strength. He felt more in control; he held this girl's life in his hands.

"So…do you think your…girlfriend or wife or whatever will mind." Anko shouted through the bitter air. How could someone like him not have someone?

Orochimaru chuckled. "I'm sure Anraku won't mind an extra guest."

"…Oh…" Anko chirped. She was half hoping (still hate this man) that Orochimaru lived alone. That way she didn't have to face crap from his housemate.

He pulled up to a tall apartment complex with a fairly descent lobby to welcome them. There were stairs lining the outside of each home, and wooden doors everywhere.

"Hop off." He said as he locked his bike to the parking place. Anko did so, stumbling to the ground due to the height. "Which one's yours?"

Orochimaru placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll show you."

She swatted his limb away. "Just lead; don't touch."

"Yes Ma'am." He led her inside, and heard an inaudible sigh from Anko at the blast of heat that hit her. He suddenly felt rather cruel making her drive all this way through the cold. However, she didn't complain, so he wouldn't bother her with unneeded apologies.

"Hey Orochimaru," Came a weak voice behind a desk.

Orochimaru nodded to the clerk who hadn't even looked at him from his newspaper. "Evening Nagato," he turned around and nodded to a caged parrot. "Karin."

"Reh! Orochimaru! Reh! Reh! Orochimaru!"

Anko couldn't help but smile at the creatures before her, which pleased Orochimaru.

Nagato finally put his paper down long enough to check up on one of his most trustworthy tenets, and was more than shocked to see the young, **female **companion with him. "Orochimaru, what is this?"

Anko glared at the man, believing that he was referring to her as a creature or better yet, a working girl off the street.

Orochimaru stepped forward, sensing Anko's sparking demeanor. "This is Anko Mitarashi. She is my guest and will be staying with me until…other living arrangements can be made."

Nagato stood, his body trembling as the attempted the difficult task. He was frail for his thirty years due to the suffocating cancer that consumed him more and more every day, but he had an inner strength that made up for it. At least, that's what Konan, his loving and devoted wife, always told him.

"And just how long will your…" he swept his eyes quickly over Anko. She didn't look like a hooker. "guest be staying with us?"

Orochimaru shrugged. "As long as it takes."

Nagato sighed. What's the worst that could happen? "All right." He flopped back into his chair. "Just don't get yourself into any trouble."

Orochimaru did a mocking salute. "Shall do. Come Anko."

Anko shot one more look at the clerk and followed Orochimaru up the stairs. She really didn't mind walking up the seven flight of stairs, but she could have sworn she saw a elevator in the lobby.

"Home sweet home." Orochimaru sighed, pulling a key out of his jacket and unlocking a door. He switched on a light and stepped aside. "Ladies first."

Anko glared at him but walked in. With her and her over-excited imagination, Anko half expected to see a room full of dead bodies or something completely dull, but instead was met with an exciting site. There were books everywhere. They were stacked on the table, bending the shelves, and created furniture-like illusions every other place. "Oh my God!" she laughed.

"You like?" Orochimaru pressed.

Anko hid her true astonishment from him. "You are such a nerd." She said instead.

Orochimaru shrugged. "I prefer scholar, but whatever. Watch your step and follow me."

Anko stayed put for a moment. Why the Hell was she here! This man was her enemy, yet she was completely obeying his orders to stay with him. What was his deal? Why did he want to help someone like her? She could only think of one rational reason, and stalked to him to confront him.

He was in his room, a surprisingly neat area compared to the rest of the apartment. He had more shelves in this place, but these were decorated with more personal things such as pictures and small collectables than books. The bed was at least a king-size, with black sheets made from the finest material.

He smiled at Anko as she entered. "You'll be sleeping in my room, I'm sure it'll be to your liking. Bathroom's down the hall and the-"

"I'm not doing anything for you."

Orochimaru looked back her, finally noticing her rosy, irritated expression. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Anko rolled her eyes and stepped forward. "I'm not fucking you for giving me hospitality." She cocked a smirk. "That clearer?"

Orochimaru resisted laughing at her comment. "You poor thing." He stated, earning a vicious glare from the blushing girl. He reached out and touched her cheek, watching the way her eyes widened to their full length. "Do you honestly believe I brought you all this way just to take advantage of you?"

Anko tore herself from the shock quickly and shook out from his touch. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. "You wouldn't be the first one."

Orochimaru stared at the blackness on her eye and the swells on her neck. He guessed that's what she meant. "Did…those boys you were arrested with…hurt you."

Anko shot to him, full of fire. "No! Itachi would never do something like that! And…Oh God what is that blond's name!"

Something clicked in Orochimaru's mind. "Itachi?"

Anko shrugged. "Just some lout who gave a damn." She felt a tinge of sadness wash over her but quickly shrugged it off. "So…" she drawled, fiddling nervously because of her next question. "Are you sure…Aniki's…whoever she is, feels all right about this?"

Orochimaru wanted to answer her, but he found a sick pleasure in the worry on her face. He had to play with it just a little longer. "To tell you the truth, I'm not too sure." he sighed, adding a hint of anxiety to his tone. "She get's dangerously irritated when I give some one else my attention." he chuckled. "All women are like that I suppose."

Anko was dead nervous, and she didn't know why. Why should she care if Orochimaru's girlfriend and/or wife detests her existence? She was already formulating a plan to sneak out of this place in the dead of night and try to get out of town before the fuzz caught up to her.

"Would you like to meet her?"

Anko looked at him curiously. "I didn't hear anyone walk in."

Orochimaru only smirked and strolled out of the room. There was a rustling of glass before he returned, a long, dark red serpent in his arms. "This…is Anraku."

Anko's face became one large red expression. A glare quickly followed. "You son of a-"

The snake his at Anko, squirming in Orochimaru's grasp to try to get to the stranger disrespecting her master. Orochimaru repositioned her, stroking her head to tame her temper. "She doesn't take too kindly to strangers." he warned, nuzzling the creatures long body.

Anko twitched, finding the relationship between Orochimaru and his pet rather creepy, yet it sent some kind of arousal through her that she couldn't explain. She cleared her throat, regaining his attention. "Um, thanks for the introduction, but I'd like to get some shut eye now."

Orochimaru nodded. "Of course, Miss Mitarashi. But first, let's try getting you cleaned up." He directed her to a door at the end of the hall. "Extra soaps and other necessities are under the sink."

She looked from him to study the spacious bathroom. There was a bathtub in the center of the blue-tiled room and a shower near the wall. The sink was aligned with several drawers, each probably filled with strange treasures she had never seen. She ran her fingers over the colorful stone. She felt like royalty in this place.

She turned back to where Orochimaru had been standing and frowned. He was still their, staring at her with a strange light in his eyes.

"Expecting a show or something?" she stalked up to him, intending to push him out. "Privacy please!"

Anruku shot forward, hissing violently. Anko halted mid-step and glared the reptile down. "I don't like you." Anko hissed at it.

Orochimaru pulled his pet away. "Easy girl; let's let Anko have her "privacy". "

Anko watched him walk away, slightly tantalized. How was he able to gain that kind of control over such a powerful creature?

And the snake!

She slammed the door close, not wanting to think about him anymore. She set to the task of deciding whether to take a shower or a nice, hot bath. In the tub, that mystery Orochimaru could pop in and see something he wasn't allowed to set eyes on. She'd be safer in the shower, able to shield herself behind the non-transparent curtain.

She turned the water on and placed her hand under it, waiting until it was scorching hot to begin undressing. The process was almost abnormal. She hadn't really taken off her clothes in weeks due to the increasingly icy weather, and she had created a small pile of dirt just from removing the rags. She placed her dark green khakis, black sweater, mouth-eaten trench coat, shoes, and undergarments next to the toilet to deal with later. It took her a moment to adjust to the burning water, but when she did, she was in heaven.

She washed her scattered locks with the shampoo Orochimaru already had available. She was shocked with the matter it had accumulated. She used the soap next, running it over every inch of her skeletal-like body until the bar was brown with her filth. She scrubbed deep into her pours, feeling the relief weighing her down as more and more grime swirled into the drain. It was as if she washing away her past, every bad thing that had happened to her. Yet, there was so much more inside that she could scrub away.

Sighing in pleasure, she turned off the steam-filled shower and prepared to leave the haven. Just as she the curtain opened, she realized something: she had no extra clothes…

And that bastard Orochimaru probably knew it!

Cursing the man she was thinking of, she covered herself with the silky shower curtain. "Orochimaru!" she called out. She received no answer, and, out of frustration, yanked the curtain down and shielded herself with it. "Orochimaru!" she screeched again, barging out of the bath room and down the hallway, not caring that she was soaking the floors. "Where are you?" she made a left and ended up back in the living room, where Orochimaru was waiting in shock.

"What on earth-"

"Where in the Hell are the towels!" she screamed, pulling the curtain more securely around her. She was happy the material wasn't transparent.

Orochimaru wasn't looking at her directly, and Anko was satisfied she had embarrassed him.

"Stay right there." he said, moving past her quickly.

Anko plopped down on the couch, shivering. She had half a mind to get the Hell out of the house, but the damaging reminder that she had no where to go kept nagging at her.

He returned with a set of loose-fitting clothing. "Here."

She snatched them from him and headed back to the bathroom.

Orochimaru flinched at the sound of the door slamming, smirking at the whistle of curses that came from her. He looked at Anraku, now situated alertly in her pin. "She's something else, isn't she?"

The reptile hissed at him, obviously displeased by her master's choice in women.

Orochimaru chuckled and placed a hand on top of the crate. "I know, she worries me as well." He looked up as the bathroom door swung open once more. This time, a more appropriately dressed Anko entered the scene.

Her attire consisted of over-sized sweat pants, a sloppy T-shirt, and a pair of loose ankle socks. Despite his morals, Orochimaru found it oddly…fascinating…to see her in his clothing.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, swallowing the burning feelings welling inside him.

Before she could answer, a loud, animal-like growl shook her stomach. She patted the area. "Um…a little." This was an understatement; she hadn't had a real mean in over eight days.

He made her a large bowl of ramen, and several different times of meat dishes; she inhaled each and every one of them. She was so enticed on the meal that she didn't notice Orochimaru staring at her. He wasn't revolted with her lack of table manners in the least, he just wondered how much this girl really went through to get her to cuss like a sailor and gobble down a meal like she had been in a coma for five years. He had seen the cuts on her arms long ago. Had she done that to herself? Was she that sick?

Suddenly, Anko stopped chowing down and slumped lifelessly in her chair. Orochimaru's heart stopped and he began to stand, but he calmed instantly when he heard her light snoring. Laughing, he strolled to where she was laying and studied her. She had an adorable habit of sleeping with her mouth open when she was on her back. On the corner of said mouth was a steak crumb, and it just seemed out of place. He reached down and wiped it off with his finger. The very contact caused Anko's eyes to shoot open and stare at him with accusing eyes. He simply smiled and licked the crumb away.

Anko stared at him with a hazy fascination. He was such a mystery, but there was once thing about him that she had figured out already…

He cared about her.

Moments later, Orochimaru lead her back to his room, well, it was her room for now.

"If you need anything," he said with a silky tone, "I'll be in the living room.

Anko shrugged. She had decided that she would leave during the night, when all was silent. She'd leave Konoha, and make her way somewhere where she would never be noticed, and never be recognized.

"Whatever." she yawned, waiting for him to leave so that she could get at least a few hours of sleep before putting her plan into motion.

"Well, in that case…goodnight… Miss Mitarashi."

"Anko."

Orochimaru looked back.

Anko blushed, but she was sick of being talked to like she was a middle-aged school teacher.

"You can just call me Anko."

It was her gift to him: false trust.

Orochimaru smiled. He slowly closed the door, watching as she slipped into the covers and curled up into a tight ball. She was still just a child, and a delicate one at that.

Sighing, Orochimaru made his way back to his couch, also intent on getting some kind of rest before making his way back to Hell's gate. Just as he was sitting down, the screeching ring of his phone echoed through the seemingly empty apartment. Not wanting it to wake her from a much deserved rest, he shot to it. "Hello-"

"_What the Hell were you thinking?"_

Orochimaru couldn't help but smirk. He was in dire shit now. "Good Evening _Hiruzen-sama_, how are you?"

"_Don't give me that goody-goody nonsense Orochimaru! What in seven's Hell were you thinking, taking that girl home with you?"_

"I was thinking about helping the woman I brought to justice."

"_Oh, give me a damn break, I know it's more than that!"_

Orochimaru burst out in laughter, unable to contain himself. It was wrong, but he loved the thrill of getting in trouble, no matter what he consequences were. It was one of the few things that stayed with him after his disfigured past.

"_What in God's name are you laughing about?"_

Orochimaru cleared his through. "Sorry old man, I was just what perverted thing must be going through your head right now." he leaned against the wall, his voice lowering. "What you think I must be doing to…_Anko_…right now."

There was a silence on the other line, and Orochimaru could just feel the heat flow through the phone. "Hello?" he teased.

"…_I want her back in this station tomorrow morning, do I make myself clear…__**inmate**__."_

Orochimaru's heart raced and he slammed down the phone. "Go to…" he grabbed the phone and threw it across the room. "Go to fucking Hell!"

A light hissing helped him clear from his rampage. He sighed and walked up to Anruku's cage. "I'm all right, I just really want to break that bastards neck sometimes, you know?"

In a way, the reptile did know. She probably wished Anko Mitarashi was between her coils at the moment.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

_**Yep, I'm bringing this back! My beta-reader, darling little NinjaSheik, is currently on a technical leave, and I just don't feel right moving on with "Martyrs" without her. But as soon as she's better, I will be as well! Please be patient with ol' Ryunn Kazan, and give "Sweet Irony" here a chance. **_

_**I'll be posting a sneak peak of what's to come in "Martyrs" right after I publish this!**_

_**HAPPY HALLOWEEN! And happy late birthday to Orochimaru and Anko!**_

_**Chapter 4:**_

_**How hard could it be to get along with the man who saved you from Hell? In Anko's case, hard enough.**_

_**Itachi has almost died trying to find Anko one last time, and has made zero progress. However, Ino's willing to strike a deal with him, one that will devestate them both.**_

_**Hiruzen's threat goes into action. What does he want from Orochimaru?**_


	5. The Bond

"_Dad, who are those people?" a ten year old Anko squeaked as she watched a group of men in black suits head to her door from the living room window. She looked up at him when he didn't answer her. His eyes were wide, and she could feel his pulse race from his arms to her shoulders. _

"_Anko," he coughed, "R-run."_

_She looked at him curiously. "Why? Who are they?"_

"_Anko," her father hissed in a scornful whisper. "Get out of her. Don't worry about your mother or me, just go!"_

"_But-"_

"_Now damn it!"_

_She froze in shock. Her father never spoke to her that way, no matter how hard they had it. Her mother could be irritable, but her father always met her with a deep smile that seeped into his soul. _

_He sighed and pulled Anko into a more familiar embrace. "I'm sorry for you yelling at you Darling, I just don't-"_

"_THIS IS THE POLICE, OPEN UP!"_

_Anko gasped as her father picked her up and rushed her into a closet. She could hear the outside door beginning to crack. He kissed her forehead quickly and closed the door, just in time for her to hear a series of grunts as the front door came crushing down._

"_Freeze!"_

"_Get the Hell out of my house."_

"_It's not your house anymore!"_

_Anko shielded her ears as the vibrations of things hitting the floor echoed into the tiny space of the closet. The air was shrinking, it must be since she was panting so much. She squeezed her ears harder. Even through this, she heard the crash and feminine scream that blew her cover._

"_Mom?" she squeaked._

_Silence._

"_Mommy!" Anko threw the door open and was blinded by bright light._

"_**Mommy! Daddy!"**_

_.,.,.,.,._

Anko woke soundlessly. She had been doing that for a while: waking from the most horrifying nightmares her subconscious could manage yet feeling nothing from the experience.

In this case however, she felt greatly disturbed of how the light source above her was melting her eyes. She sat up, shielding her face with her arm. As soon as her senses set in, she discovered with horror that she was still in Orochimaru's room. She jumped out of bed, pushing herself into the nearest wall. Looking around, she also discovered that it was early morning, probably just after six, and cold. She wanted to jump back under those warm blankets and sleep the morning away, but she scolded herself and told her tired body to get her ass up and leave this house.

She quickly looked around and searched for her clothes. She snuck away and checked the bathroom, but the floor was clean. She cursed Orochimaru under her breath and stomped downstairs to confront him.

Orochimaru was at the stove, stirring together some breakfast for him and his guest. He never could sleep in past sunrise, a habit he picked up from his years on the streets during his youth. He gripped the counter, urging the memories away. Hiruzen's words still weighed heavily on his mind. Why did he always have to bring up things that were better off forgotten?

The weight of dread was lifted when he heard a pair of hasty footsteps pounding down the steps. Anko shot through the doorway and look around before she noticed him.

He caught her glare and couldn't help but smirk. _"What did I do now?" _

"Good morning Anko." He greeted brightly.

"Where are my clothes?" Anko hissed.

His smile faded and he stared at her. "What clothes?"

Anko slammed her hand on the table, the only barrier that prevented her from jumping him. "The things I was wearing last night; where in God's name did you put them?"

Orochimaru turned off the stove and placed the scapula in the pan. "Well," he began to explain. "they were so dirty and full of holes that I threw them out and thought you could borrowed some from Konan from downstairs until-"

"You WHAT?" Anko screamed at him.

Orochimaru backed as far as he could into the stove as Anko jumped over the table and grabbed his throat. "Listen to me you thoughtless creep!" she yelled. "I don't care if your letting me stay in your damn house, you do not touch my things, got me!"

Orochimaru was rather stunned. He hadn't meant to be spiteful or annoying in any way. He just thoughts she'd appreciate something that wasn't a sack of dirt. "I'm…sorry?" he stated with a crooked smile.

Anko's glare only increased. She wanted to beat the shining daylights out of him and make a run for it, but her mind was abruptly turned to the knock at the door. She watched Orochimaru edge toward it, his eyes never leaving her as he turned the knob. He almost jumped for joy when he saw his downstairs neighbor, Konan.

"What a surprise." he greeted. Stepping behind the woman to close the door.

Konan chuckled softly, "What do you mean, you knew I was coming." she stopped when she saw Anko, an enraged, but quite attractive, young girl, the one she had brought the outfit for per Orochimaru's request.

"Hi," she greeted. She shifted the materials in her arms and held them out to the girl. They were a black turtle neck and light blue jeans. "Orochimaru asked me to bring you these, since…" she laughed gently. "Well, for reasons I shouldn't say. They might be a little big, but a belt should fix that."

Anko's eyes widened and she looked back and forth from Konan to Orochimaru. What disgusting lie did Orochimaru tell this woman? She gave Konan a dirty look and trotted out the door, smacking Orochimaru as she did.

Konan looked back at Orochimaru who had his head down. "I didn't mean to upset her."

Orochimaru shook his head. "It's not you; she's just insufferably unkind."

Konan chuckled and laid the clothes on the table. "I'll be going then."

Orochimaru closed the door as they left. "So will I."

.,.,.,.,.,.

Anko flopped down on a bench in the lobby, rubbing her arms through the oversized sweater. She hated it here! Especially the people with their noses stuck so far up in the air that they couldn't see that there was an actual person just in front of them. Speaking of which, how in God's name could that bastard Orochimaru do that to her! She was not some poor defenseless child who needed constant care and new things! He had absolutely no right!

Anko looked up as the door opened and the ill man from yesterday entered, newspaper in hand and a sack under his arm. He walked be hind his desk, not even so much as a glance towards Anko, and stuck his head in a door. "Konan," he called, "I got breakfast." He closed the door and turned back to the desk, unwrapping the newspaper. As he opened it, his eyes finally fell in Anko's direction. They stared at each other for a moment, fiery eyes landing with tired ones.

"Um…good morning." he greeted.

Anko rolled her eyes. She was not going to pick conversation up with a man who had mistaken her for a floozy. "Same to you," she muttered.

Nagato turned his attention back to his paper, trying his best to focus on the front headlines, but his eyes kept wondering to the seething Anko Mitarashi. He knew he made her feel out of place the night before, and felt a need to apologize, despite his suspicions. "So, how was your first night here?" he questioned, trying to make it see like he was more into his paper than her.

Anko shrugged. "Not bad. It's been a while since I've had a bed to myself."

Nagato scoffed without thinking. "I can only imagine."

Anko blushed. "What did you say you diseased son of a-"

"Anko!"

She looked up to see Orochimaru running down the stairs. He gave her a hard look. It reminded her of one her mother would give her. "Whatever you were about to say, drop it."

Anko glared at him. He was not her parent. He was nothing to her. Still, she didn't really have the need to cuss Nagato out, so she backed off.

Nagato looked back at his paper like the situation was nothing unordinary.

She went back to her bench and looked away from Orochimaru, intending to avoid him until he apologized for his crime. To her great dismay, he sat down beside her, giving her that charming, yet fake smile.

"I don't really see what the problem is, but I am sorry. Why don't you come back up stairs and eat something. Maybe put on the clothes Konan until we can get you more?"

Anko turned to him, a sharp glare in her eyes. Deep in her heart, she knew he was just trying to help, but it still bugged the Hell out of her. He was a cop, and an annoying one at that. She sighed and began to force some kind of words out. "Look, I really appreciate all you've done, but for God's sake I am not some charity case!"

Orochimaru stared at her long and hard. She was hard-headed that independent, but that was her nature of survival, and he admired that more than anything. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder to earn her attention. She looked at it and then at him. "I never thought you were."

She watched him stand and extend the very hand to her.

"Well?"

Why should she trust him? All he did was pull her out of the slammer, was that enough? She grasped his hand lightly. What other choice did she have?

"See you Nagato." Orochimaru called as he pulled the reluctant Anko up with him.

The man, placed his news paper down once he heard the door slam and stared at the places Orochimaru and his "lady friend" had been standing. He couldn't help the smirk that found its way across his face. This was going to be an interesting week.

Back in the apartment, Anko stared at the food on her plate in a bit of awe. This was almost as big of a feast as the night before. Orochimaru had prepared her a large omelet, stuffed with eggs, cheese, and vegetables. On the sides of her plate were bacon and light brown toast that was more than appetizing. As soon as he sat a glass of orange juice in front of her, Anko dug in.

Orochimaru watched her with interest once more. "So," he spoke. "Maybe after breakfast we could go out somewhere."

Anko froze, fork full of egg in mid-bite.

He smirked. "Go do some actual shopping, I mean."

Anko swallowed her food and look at him suspiciously. "Don't you have some kind of cop crap to deal with or something?"

Orochimaru froze. Thanks to Anko's shenanigans, he had almost completely forgotten about his verbal tussle with Hiruzen the night before. Would the old goat really come after him if he didn't show up? He shrugged.

"Nope," he stated. "I'm all yours."

Something about that comment made Anko's heart leap, but she brushed it off quickly and sat up to set her price. "Well then," she said with a little smirk "you better get ready. I am not cheap."

Orochimaru stood with her and gathered the plates. "I feared as much."

.,.,.,.,.

Everything was warm and white. It hurt. It hurt so damn much.

Itachi struggled from it, fought it as hard as he could, but it wouldn't release him.

"H-H-" he couldn't breath, couldn't call out for help. It was over. He was never leaving this white abyss. He was never going to call his mother on her birthday, and see how Sasuke was doing. He was never going to beat the crap out of Deidara for sending him to the hospital. He was never going to tell Anko goodbye, that he…

"_Uchiha?"_

Suddenly, the white was lifted, and Itachi sprung to the colorful world as fast as he could. He grabbed the closes thing to him, which were the arms of the nameless voice.

"Whoa! Calm down you idiot!"

Itachi used the person's arm to sit up, his destroyed eyes racing everywhere to find something that made sense. He focused on the person he was holding onto. There was a mass of pixilated light hair, a deep purple orbs glowing under the locks. "Ino?"

A chortle. "Who else."

He looked around, hoping for a different face. He was alone. With her. "Where's Deidara?"

"Home." Ino answer. "He wasn't too excited about coming back to this place."

Itachi sighed and gently laid back down. He knew instantly by the smell and the white walls that he was back in the dreaded hospital. "Why am I here?" he whispered. His voice was almost gone, and he barely had the energy to speak.

Ino sat back. "Some fuzz brought you here after you got raped in the jail house."

"What?" Itachi rasped.

Ino smirked. "Hey, I wasn't giving the details."

Itachi sighed and rolled over on his side, sending a screaming pain into skull. He moaned loudly, unable to fight it off.

"Sure, just move around." Ino teased.

Ino leaned forward and began to run her finger though his hair in a soothing motion.

"What's…wrong with…me?"

"The doc said you had a crack in your skull, which got worse after all of your…" her fingers twisted in his lock. "Tricks."

Itachi hissed at the abuse, but knew that he couldn't physically fight her off. She released him thankfully, but his scalp was numb now. He knew there was much more to come.

"I'm sorry for fooling you earlier." he apologized, knowing their incident from that morning was what was making her so angry. However, he truly wasn't sorry, and proved so but adding, "you damn slut."

Ino grabbed his throat and forced him into the bed, pushing him down hard. "At least I know how to get and keep someone I want." she snarled with venom. "Look at you! You almost died twice in the last forty-eight hours all because of some nameless trick! That is just pathetic."

Itachi grabbed her shoulders and sloppily switched their positions. "That nameless trick you're speaking so ill of, happens to be the most beautiful creature this world has to offer, and saved mine and **Deidara's** life." He lowered his face to hers. "And for the last time, her name is Anko."

Without any warning except the nasty grin that spread on her face, Ino lashed from Itachi's grip and locked his mouth with hers, harshly scarring his virgin insides with her experienced tongue.

He fought and thrashed until he freed himself from her, toppling off of the bed as he did so. He wiped his mouth quickly, trying to spit her taste away.

Ino hopped up from her lying position, looking more peppy and energetic than she had moments before. "Sorry jail bird," she panted. "the timing was just to perfect to throw away."

Itachi lurched to his feet, glaring at the blond beauty. "Like I said, SLUT!"

Ino laughed, seductively crawling off of the bed. "Oh baby, you know you want one."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "Just get out of here. I'll check myself out, considering you gave your word that you wouldn't."

Ino smirked; she had him. "I did didn't I?"

"Goodbye."

Ino shrugged slowly making herself to the door. "I suppose that bitch friend of yours will just have to crawl back into the gutter without a proper goodbye." she could feel a spark in Itachi's emotions, and stopped altogether. "I'll let her know you just weren't interested."

"What…are you talking about." Itachi began reluctantly. He knew there was a strong chance Ino was lying to pull him into one of her loops, but if it involved seeing Anko one last time, just to see if she was all right, he would go through anything she wanted.

Ino leaned against the door. "Let's just say…a little bird from the police department owes me a favor for a…" she twitched with excitement, "favor…I did for him."

Itachi felt bile inch up his esophagus, but summoned it down. "What does that have to do with Anko?"

Ino eyed him lustfully. "I can get you her exact location, her number, whatever the Hell she has on her. All it will take is a phone call, maybe even a visit."

"Okay." Itachi whispered. He knew where this was heading. "And you want something in return, what is it?"

Ino seemed to glow happiness. She strolled up to him, caressing his hard jaw with her fingers before moving him closely to her. "You." she whispered. "One night, all night."

"No!" Itachi yelped as he shot back in repulsion, the back of his knees hitting the bed, causing him to fall back. A stupid predicament.

Ino giggled at Itachi's shyness. "Oh relax virgin boy, it's just sex."

**Just sex?**

Ino obviously didn't know what kind of a sacred bond the act was. She held so many things as cheap.

"Ino…I will do anything else but that."

"Ah." Ino cooed childishly. "Are you scared?"

Itachi gave her a dirty look. "Horrified. I really don't want to be where God knows how many other men have been."

Ino choked. "You bastard! Either agree with the damn deal or spend the rest of you pathetic life searching for a girl who probably wouldn't want you anyway! Now what is it going to be?"

Itachi looked away. "You don't know anything about here."

Ino scoffed and fluttered back to the door. "And I'll never will, thanks to your stupidity."

Itachi's fists clenched. He couldn't let this opportunity to see her again slip, no matter how chaste and disgusting it was.

_Slut._

"When?" Itachi called out, causing Ino to pause one last time. "When do you want to do it?"

_Filthy slut._

Ino glanced back and grinned. "Tonight. I'll get you out of here." She blew him a kiss and strolled off, feeling more than victorious.

Itachi crashed into the sheets, holding his breath. Why did it have to be so soon? Why was she so intended to torture him? Why did he care? Hadn't he hardened, turned into an emotionless monster who didn't care what happened to him?

Was he saving that one part of himself for someone special, Anko maybe?

He curled up on his side as the door opened again.

"Mr. Uchiha," called a sweet voice. "You can leave in about an hour. We're processing you right now."

"…thank you." Itachi managed to hoarsely whisper.

The door closed, and the banished Uchiha was left to wallow in question and regret.

_Filthy, horrible, heartless slut._

.,.,.,.,.,.

It was a wonderful day for Anko. After a twenty minute ice ride through the city on Orochimaru's motorcycle, he took her to the most extravagant mall in all of Konoha. And as soon as they stepped through the doors, Anko became true to her word and ran Orochimaru ragged. However, the man grinned and bared it, patiently waiting for her outside each store and in some occasions, went in with her to help with some modeling decisions. It was strange for them both at first, but after a few outfits, the two felt more familiar with each other and started sharing opinions on Anko's styling choice. They were becoming good friends.

"So," Anko began during a lunch break. "What is your relationship status?"

Orochimaru's french-fry paused in mid flight. "I beg your pardon?"

Anko shrugged. "If all you have is a pet snake, whom you treat as a normal person, mind you, then what are you into?"

Orochimaru chuckled. "Are you trying to ask me if I'm straight or not Miss Mitarashi?"

Anko smirked, her cheeks turning a light pink. "Well, if you want technical terms, yes."

Orochimaru sat back, sipping on his soft drink loudly.

Anko smirked, pressing in. "Are you in denial, Mr. Orochimaru?"

"Bi." Orochimaru answered as if it were completely acceptable. "I can't help to find some men sinfully attractive," He twitched slightly in his seat, the face of a certain red-head from a different department flashing through his mind. "but, there's that certain charm woman have that brings me back." he leaned in, eyeing the speechless Anko with dark interest. "Like the one you have for example."

Anko gripped her drink, anxiousness slowly taking over her senses. Did he…LIKE her?

"And you?" Orochimaru inquired.

Anko took in a deep breath and tried to make it seem like she was calm. "Um…straight. Yeah, just straight." she looked up at him. "However, I find most men rather impulsive, which may cause me to run to the other team before I turn twenty."

A passerby overheard Anko's words and stared at her oddly. She shot him a glare which sent him on his way.

Orochimaru's eyes held an emotion she couldn't read. "I'm sorry my kind disgusts you."

She picked up the trays, feeling a sudden need to get away for a moment. "It's not you." she whispered, hoping he didn't hear her. However, she caught him grinning, and sped off so that she wouldn't hear him retaliate.

After a few more stops, they once again pulled up to the apartment complex, bags of all shapes and consistencies strapped to the monster of a motorcycle. Orochimaru opened the door for Anko, allowing her and some of the bags entry while he grabbed the rest.

Konan and Nagato were at the counter, whispering in the secret chat married couples had. They look rather startled when they entered, but Konan stepped up to greet the couple with a smile.

"My gracious Orochimaru," she said, "you really know how to show a girl a good time."

He shrugged, setting the bags down to stretch his fingers out. "I do my best." he glanced back at Anko, who was checking each bag to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. Their eyes met, meaning all was clear and it was time to go upstairs. "I'll see you soon." he said to Konan, readying himself to pick the bags back up.

"Actually," Nagato spoke suddenly. "Can we talk for a second?"

Orochimaru looked at Anko who was staring at them suspiciously. He dug through his pockets and brought out the house key, tossing it to her and chuckling at her struggle to obtain it. "Go on up." he said. "I'll bring the stuff up."

Anko glared at him. "I'm locking your ass out." she growled, stomping up the stairs.

Orochimaru shook his head. "Cute isn't she?"

"Reh!" Karin the bird crowed. "Reh! Orochimaru! Reh!"

"Adorable." Nagato sighed. "Look, some old man came in today looking for you and the girl. He said something about being with the police force."

Orochimaru's heart beat began to slow dangerously. Hiruzen was here!

Orochimaru forced the burning lump in his throat down. "What did you tell him?"

"We told him you went out. He went up to your room, but he was only up there for, I guess, five minutes." Konan stated. "When he left, he asked us to call him the second you returned,"

Nagato held out a card with two fingers. "or he'd be back."

Orochimaru took the paper, slipping it into his back pocket. He eyed the couple. "Did he threaten you?"

"No," Konan laughed. "He was quite friendly, very good-natured. He just seemed, like he was in a hurry."

Orochimaru nodded, rummaging for a plan in his head. Not once in his life had he gone around dumbstruck. During his early youth, he always created a back-up strategy when his original plans had gone entirely wrong. He was never clueless, and he would think of a way to dodge the old man just a while longer.

He forced a smile to his landlord and lady. "Thank you for the update; I'll take care of it." he picked up Anko's bags and head for the stairs.

"You want some help?" Nagato called after him.

"No thank you." Orochimaru called back warmly. "I got it."

_I'll take care of everything._

The first thing Orochimaru noticed when he opened the door (Anko must have forgotten to lock him out) was the abnormally cold gust that had smacked him. He rubbed his arms and looked around for Anko. She had left her bags on the couch.

"Orochimaru!"

The man being called smirked at the scream echoing through his apartment. He liked it when she screamed for some reason. "Yes?" he called out casually.

Anko emerged from the bedroom, a blanket wrapped around her body.

"Did the shower curtain go out of style?" he joked.

Anko grabbed a pillow off the couch and threw it at him, missing do to her shaky arm. "Shut up and turn on some damn heat in here!"

"All right all right!" Orochimaru laughed, heading to the hall to turn on the thermostat. To his absolute shock, all he found was a dismantled wiring system and a small note taped to it.

_Maybe this will give you the incentive to do as I tell you. Have her back tomorrow, inmate._

Orochimaru tore the paper in half. That one word did so many things to his blood. Why could that old geezer let the past die? Why couldn't **he **die?

"Is everything all right?" Anko called, her voice calmer now.

Orochimaru straightened up and returned to the living room, pushing the note in his back pocket with the card.

_Trash._

"My heats out." Orochimaru lied. "You'll just bare it until morning."

Anko groaned, but did not complain any further. She had decided after her major shopping trip that she would cut Orochimaru some slack. He had been so kind, and deserved better than the harshness she had been giving him.

"Well," she sighed, making room on the couch. "No use standing their shivering. Have a seat."

Orochimaru hesitatingly took it. He wouldn't deny that he did not quite trust her yet.

He heard a hissing sound and smirked when he saw Anraku glaring at Anko.

The girl simply stuck her tongue out at her. Childish creature.

"Hey babe." Orochimaru waved to the reptile.

Anko rolled her eyes at Orochimaru's obsession. She watched the snake move around some more, and found a sudden fascination with the way her body squeezed itself as it slithered around.

"Do you have a mouse or something I can feed her?"

Orochimaru stared down at her with a little bit of curiosity. "No, I only feed her a rat once a week, and that day is not today."

Anko leaned up slightly, excited. "How about…we feed her half a rat now, and the other half whenever feeding day is."

Orochimaru chuckled. "What a strange, creative person you are Anko Mitarashi."

Anko gave him a sarcastic look. A grin followed. "And you, are the most sarcastic, weirdest, unusually sexy bastard I have ever had the unusual pleasure of meeting."

Orochimaru's eyes did not waver. "Anko Mitarashi, are you hitting on me."

Anko spat out a laugh, blushing heavily.

_Stay cool._

"You wish." To her unimaginable surprise, Orochimaru reached out and took a bold move of pushing a string of hair way from her face. She could have looked at his eyes forever.

"I do wish…"

She pulled away before she got to really feel his touch. She was not a player in the game he was trying to make her play. She set her distance and turned back to the snake.

Orochimaru soon followed. He shouldn't have done that. Hell, he barely knew this girl and his own sick mind was making him make advances at her. It wasn't right, and if she mentioned it to that bastard Hiruzen he was more than screwed. But she was a big girl, nineteen. Wasn't it her choice?

He glanced at her, and was surprised to see her doing the same. Their eyes wavered back to the hissing reptile.

"…Can I still have that half a mouse?"

Orochimaru laughed.

_.,.,.,.,.,._

He was face to face with those blue eyes now, the very objects making him want to rip his heart out and burn it. He was regretting his very existence, hating everything around him.

He hoped the pills Ino had forced Deidara to take earlier would set in effect soon. He did not want him to hold anything against him in the morning.

He had taken some of his own before coming in here. Why weren't they helping?

Ino lit the last of the hundred and something candles lit around the room. She was clothed in a black corset-like garb that squeezed each and every line and curve her body had to offer. Her sunshine hair was out of it's usual bondmen; Itachi never noticed until now that it came down to her waist . Itachi had to admit that she was rather attractive, but each time she flashed him that sly smirk of hers, he remember why he avoided her presence whenever possible.

"You like it?" she cooed, twirling so that Itachi could see the garb. "I bought it just for this. I did everything here for you, actually."

"It's…nice." Itachi commented, leaning deeper into the door. He so badly wanted to twist that doorknob and run, but he couldn't. She had the key.

During each step she took towards him, a breath of his precious air became sour. That porcelain face of hers arched up to his

"Aw," she sighed. "why Itachi you're trembling." her hands made a soothing trail down his shoulders, down his arms, and to his waist which she gripped tightly. "So am I." Her arms released him long enough to take both his hands in hers and pull him towards the bed which had been waiting far too long for him.

His feet subconsciously dug into the floor, slowing their progress. However, Ino had worked too hard to let Itachi's stubbornness get in the way of her night.

The night she was going to fuck the one man in the world who had resisted her.

And she was going to make him love it!

He was cast on the bed, and Ino immediately crawled on top of him to keep him from moving away.

"Uchiha…" she purred, tangling some of his precious locks in her fingers. "Why are you so nervous?"

_Because you a harlot psychopath who probably caught something from your last fuck_!

"I'm not." he stated firmly, but the crack in his voice was a dead give away.

She laughed lightly, leaning down so that she could start with his neck. "You are such a sexy liar."

He glared at her. He hated how she could see past his defenses and twist his fears for her own benefits.

_Bitch._

"Your pulse is racing." she pointed out, placing hard kisses along his slender neck with a moan. "You must be scared out of your mind." her hands gripped his shirt, and she realized something. She met his eyes. "You really are a virgin, aren't you Itachi?"

His glare only intensified. This girl deserved a good slap across the face.

She licked her lips, getting more and more excited by the second. "Oh don't worry baby, after this, you'll be glad I was your first."

Itachi's frustration reached a new level. He sat up on his arms with the intention to choke her, but when that brown-eyed, abused girl flashed through his mind, his composer recapped. He forced a smirk. "And I'll make sure this is the best one night stand of your life."

Ino smirked triumphal. "You are on baby."

And the game began.

Ino tore his t-shirt down the middle, ripping it into shreds to get the garment off as quickly as possible. Itachi was all muscles, much to her surprise. He had more than Deidara, and she knew he had jumped more fences than Itachi did. She grabbed Itachi's hands and brought them to her chest, wanting his callous hands all over her. She flexed her fingers with his and groaned at the very contact.

He would do whatever she wanted if it would get him out of this.

Their hands slid to Ino's back, to the hooks holding her corset together. "Take it off me." she demanded.

He gritted his teeth and did as she told him to. Each hook was painstaking, but he got them undone and pulled the clothing off, revealing Ino's sumptuous creamy mounds. Her chest came closer to him and he knew what she wanted. He kissed each blob, savoring unfamiliar taste in his mouth. She had a nice taste, much to his surprise. What was it? Cinnamon? Sin? Apples maybe?

She pulled back and smirked drunkly at how his head tried to follow. "Oh Itachi, you poor, hungry thing." She lifted her body and removed the rest of the garment. Her wetness rested on Itachi's clothed arousal, which was coming to life far too fast for his own sanity. Ino slid down enough to unbutton Itachi's jeans, but remembered something very important for the next event.

Sighing, she leaned over and pulled open a drawl before pulling out a handful of rubber rings. "So, which color you want?" she chirped, holding up several between her fingers.

Itachi stared at her in shock.

She rolled her eyes and continued. "I have green, orange, I don't have blue, but I have purple somewhere…"

Itachi smiled for the first real time that night. He respected her more now that he knew she wasn't a total slut who didn't care about risks. "I didn't know you played it safe."

Ino smirked and began to unwrap an red condom, a color that seemed right for this occasion. "I'm not as careless as you think, Uchiha." She pulled his jeans down, eyeing his large, clean erection with lust. She hated to cover it with this red bag, but she hadn't taken her birth control in the last two days due to the excitement and need all the safety she could get. Pulling his trousers down to the floor, she readied them for the main event. "Fuck me Itachi."

Itachi tasted blood his mouth as her slimy insides consumed him. She was tight, surprisingly, and grinded down as her channels stretched to meet his size.

"Itachi…" she gasped, her eyes rolling back in pure pleasure. He made her feel so much fuller than Deidara, that any other man that had ever been inside her. She started in a slow gallop, adoring how Itachi gripped her waist to steady her thrusts.

He had wanted this event to be over the entire night, but because he was human, the savage part of him wanted to savor it.

_Just once. I'll let it happen just this once. Sorry Anko._

She sank down on him hard, riding his rock in a rhythmic dance. She placed her hands behind Itachi's back, helping him get his own speed going so that they could make the pleasure soar. It wasn't enough, even for her. She grabbed Itachi's tightly clenched fist and untwined his fingers. She brought two up to her mouth, circling her tongue around them.

Their eyes stayed intact as Ino brought his digits down to their swerving hips and began to shove them into her moist entrance. "Hard…" she panted, the full feeling frying her senses. She began to pound again, and all Itachi would have to do was that one act that would cause this to end too soon. He matched his movements with hers, and sped up as soon as he got the hang of it. His stomach twisted with the sound of her screeching moans. He could have sworn he felt the room quake. If Deidara woke up and heard this he was screwed.

Wrapping his free arm around her waist, Itachi made a deadly move and switched their positions. Ino screamed with ecstasy, and Itachi unconsciously clasped down on her lips to smother her sounds. He removed his fingers from her and lifted both her hips to wrap them around his tightly. Ino's tongue explored his mouth, and he reacted. He was falling into her sex trap and loved it.

She had promised he would.

He returned to his thrusting, harder this time, wanting to leave the trap as quickly as possible now that he knew he was addicted. He needed air and moved away from her mouth, but Ino was cooperative and released her sound pleasure in his neck.

"Harder Baby."

He obliged.

"Itachi don't stop. Oh, you feel so good!"

He was a mindless puppet tangled in her ropes.

"Oh! Right there! Baby go!"

The puppet wanted to fall and smash its head in.

She clawed at his back, clenching down on him harder.

"I'm there baby! I'm-AH!"

Itachi felt a great pressure release itself in him and on him. It was like he was vomiting, only it didn't leave an aftertaste.

He gripped her sides and shakily pulled up, allowing their slims and a goop of rubber to slide down.

The smell stopped him from breathing. He wanted to die. He wanted to live. He wanted to disappear.

Ino took him by the shoulders and pulled him to her side, rolling over slowly to lay her head on his chest.

When his breathing calmed down and his head cleared, she picked up his hand and made him run his fingers through her hair. Itachi's grip became tighter.

"When are you going to find her?"

Ino's pleasured face turned into a scowl. "As soon as I get done with you tomorrow," she dug her nails into his chest and broke the skin, "Bitch."

He was sick of feeling. She had won, and he hated it.

He was the slut now.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Anko awoke with a jerk. She was in an unknown destination now and felt just as lost as she had the night before.

This time however, she was not alone.

Leaning up, she discovered that she had her legs on Orochimaru's lap. She pulled them back and wrapped her arms around them. She must have fallen asleep watching the snake.

The man himself had his a arms behind his head. His mouth was gaped open in a peaceful "O".

She giggled softly at this. "I have to admit, you are kind of cute." She was glad he was asleep when she said that. There were so many things she could tell him that he could comeback at, and some of the things he would say would earn him a visit to a funeral home.

Was she actually starting to…like him? It seemed absurd. He was a cop, a man of the law. She was a vigilante, a woman of street smarts and wit. They would clash in an instant, wouldn't they. But talking to him seemed so easy. Even when he acted like a sarcastic ass, he seemed to give her exactly what she wanted to hear. Maybe staying with him wouldn't be so bad.

She shook her head, raking the idea from her mind. "I'm only been her two days. I am not getting attached to this…man. I'll be out of her soon." she looked at him one last time as she curled on the couch. "I'll be gone, and he'll forget all about me. Just like Itachi and what's his name did."

.,.,.,.,.,.

_**Don't worry folks! More OrochimaruXAnko interactions coming up!**_

_**Chapter 5: **_

_**Itachi is a step closer to finding the girl he was afraid he lost, but Ino isn't going to let him get far. In the mean time, the blond beauty learns a dark secret about her cousin that will rock their world.**_

_**Anko is breaking, and only Orochimaru can help her pick up the pieces. He's been their, done that.**_


	6. Searching but not Finding

"So…" Anko pressed with false seductiveness, "do you have a specific type of men or do you run with the ones that write down all ten digits on a napkin?"

Orochimaru almost spat out his Hot Chocolate from laughing; that or it was the horrible taste.

Anko had woken up, still on the couch with her legs propped on Orochimaru's lap. After watching him sleep for about five minutes, she went to look for some breakfast. She managed to find some hot chocolate mix that was hard as a rock and decided to stir it together (she had had far worse). She was shock to turn around and find him watching her. After calling him out, she made him a cup and they sat on the couch in silence until Anko popped the current question.

Anko smirked at the nervousness that labored the man's throat. "Ah, having trouble _getting some_?"

His good-natured smile turned into a scowl. "Watch it girl."

Anko laughed at his attempt to threaten her. "Whatever."

He crossed his arms with disapproval. "Didn't your parents teach you how to respect your elders?"

The cup in Anko's hand crumbled into sharp, brown, wet pieces.

_Anko, don't talk with your mouth full._

_Brown, childish eyes turned to the opposite party at the table._

_A Wink._

_Manners were overrated. _

She shook the objects out of her hand and stomped away, not wanting to look at him. Not wanting to remember.

Orochimaru watched her leave with a strange familiarization. She was just as he had been many years ago: short-tempered and hurt.

Oh Hell, was she one of those kids who got sensitive at the very mention of family or anything family related? He couldn't deal with that.

_Again._

He shook his head and began to clear away breakfast. He'd give Anko a few hours to cool down before he apologized for whatever reason.

.,.,.,.

Anko sat in her room, slowly going through the clothes she and Orochimaru had bought the day before. She was thinking that maybe she had been a little too sensitive back there, but then again, she had one Hell of a right to be angry. His **kind **were the reason she wasn't with her parents like any good little eighteen year old should be. They were the reason why she was with Orochimaru, a man she despised yet felt the need to be near.

She threw the bags to the side, creeping down on the floor to the one item she had been smart enough to remove it from her jacket before Orochimaru trashed her clothes. She leaned against the bed, opening a small magnolia box, probably the nicest thing she had owned before-hand. Inside the glistening wood were several pieces of blades, some shiny and new, others rusty and dangerous. Either way, some of them were going in her skin tonight.

Most youths in her position would have used drugs to get away from their problems. But when you were barely an adult with no money and a lack of condoms for body selling, you made a way to improvise. Besides, she wanted to do something that wouldn't make her look unrecognizable if she ever found her parents again. She didn't want to be an addict.

But then again, pain was the worst drug to get addicted to.

She peeked out into the hallway and could hear the sound of clanking china. He was too busy to worry about her. She snuck into the bathroom, the only room in the house where her evidence could be quickly cleaned. She turned the water on as hot as it would go so that the room would fill up with steam. Even she didn't want to see what she was doing.

She stepped in, not worrying about the clothes she was wearing, and slipped under the hard spray.

She asked herself a very important question: "Do I want to do this again?"

She had stopped when she was seventeen because she had reached a stage where everything seemed pointless.

What was the point of cutting yourself to death just to have some nameless idiot dragged you to a walk-in clinic after you nicked too deep?

_She just…passed out._

What was the point in it when said stranger gave you the most soothing three days you've had in ten years?

_I want to make you feel good, okay?_

Oh that's right: comfort.

_Get out, slut._

_But-_

_Go!_

Anko hissed when the slippery blade slipping into her arm, creating a fat gash just below the main arteries. She smirked as the tears pouring from her eyes mixed in with the water.

_Thank you Kakashi. That did help._

_A smirk._

_**A lie.**_

The lashes continued, each one longer, and each one making stars flash in front of her eyes. She felt the back of her head numbing itself and knew it was only a matter of time before she met Doctor Dark. She could care less who she greeted, just as long as she could get all of the unwelcome faces out of her mind.

She used to look just like _her_. Same hair, same eyes, same built.

She used to act just like _him_. Same pranks, same fights with the woman of the house, same violent fits of rage.

But now she couldn't tell what she looked like. She couldn't see them now. She didn't know who she was anymore. They were blurring away as the pleasure set in; swirling into affinity like the water making its way down the drain. Yet, **his** face suddenly became too clear for her sanity's sake.

_Deeper._

She groaned. The ecstasy felt different this time. Her body wasn't truly enjoying the abuse. Maybe she hadn't become as hard as she thought.

_Harder._

Now it hurt.

.,.,.,.

Orochimaru reached the top of the stairs and made his way to Anko's room. However, his sensitive ears picked up the sound of water running and he paused. Why was Anko taking a shower this late in the afternoon? Maybe showers were her way of calming down.

Shrugging, he knocked on the door. "Anko, you alive in there?" It was meant to be a joke, but when he didn't get a sound or verbal response, his stomach twisted slightly.

"Anko?" he called again, his ear pressing to the door. "Are you there?" He steadied everything. His breathing stopped, his heartbeat slowed.

There was nothing.

"I'm coming in!" he announced. He turned the knob. Locked.

First thought that popped into his mind? Suicide attempt.

_Familiar…_

"Not in my damn house!" Orochimaru growled. He stepped back and then forced his weight into the thick wood. He could feel the hinges falling apart and knew he was almost there.

"Hold on Anko!"

_You idiot! You think pain is a good thing? You bastard! I ought to shove that razor up your damn eye socket! I bet that'll feel so damn good! Won't it, you-_

_Nagato stop-_

Orochimaru saw red as he yanked the shower curtain off the hinges. There Anko lay, partially unconscious with a thick razor stuck loosely between her fingers. He grabbed at the wall for support, and swallowed the bile burning his throat. Was she dead? No, she was too stubborn and fiery to die.

Just like him.

He coughed, leaning over to turn off the water. He waited in the silence for a moment longer, venturing for her breathing even though she was so still.

Her body jolted suddenly, her unscathed arm clutching the other. Her gleaming brown eyes suddenly looked up at his. They were shocked. No one had ever came for her after death's short-lived visit.

Well, **one** did, but that was different.

He didn't look at her. Instead, he turned around to the closet and pulled out a towel.

She reached for him, blood oozing from her wounds. The towel was wrapped around her, locking her arms away. She was lifted up gently, and carried to a blurry destination.

Orochimaru felt her fingers knit into his shirt, letting the cloth soak up her blood. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but the way his arms squeezed made her bleed too fast to gain strength enough to do so.

.,.,.,.,.

"_Itachi?"_

He slapped at the voice hovering over his ear like an irritating fly. The voice giggled, sending a chill to his groin. He felt warm breath on his outer ear and twitched uncomfortable under the warmness surrounding him.

"_Come on baby, wake up."_

The drowsy Uchiha was suddenly wide awake. He shot up to meet the grinning face of the woman he had been with last night, Ino Yamanaka. As the horrific memories from then flashed through his tangled mind, he pushed himself away, wanting to be as far from the sin as possible. He saw that she was dressed in proper clothing now, thankfully, instead of that sorry excuse for clothes she had worn "for him" the night before.

Ino only laughed at his reaction, climbing up on the bed to get closer to his scooting form. "What's the matter babe?" her fingers crawled up his chest, pressing into each of his broad muscles.

Itachi took in a deep breath and grabbed Ino's hand, holding it a safe distance away from his skin. "Ino, we need to talk."

Ino rolled her beautiful blue eyes and leaned in to him, intending to capture his lips in smoldering kiss. "Later, K?"

Itachi placed his free hand on her shoulder, pausing her movements. "No, **now**."

Ino was beginning to lose her cool. "What the Hell is it?"

_Horney much?_

He sighed in relief, but knew that she wasn't going to cooperate for long. "Last night, was a one-time thing." He said, watching as her scowl turned into an expression of pure hate. He couldn't deny that she was rather cute, in a disgusting way. Maybe all men felt some kind of attraction towards the woman (or men) they had relations with.

Ino couldn't believe him! What did she have to do to keep this man inside of her? Why did he have to be so damn defiant?

She grinned, trying to gather a plan so that she could gain some kind of control back over him. "Itachi," she whined seductively. "Come on, I know you enjoyed it. I made you feel things you liked," her hand rubbed against his abdomen, "why not let me do it again…"

Itachi grabbed her arm quickly, but not roughly. "Because," he drawled without hesitation, "last night was a deal, Ino. A trade of my body for your resources. That deal, my dear harlot, is done, and there will be nothing else between us in that light."

Ino shook in fury. "You fucking bastard!"

He released her and slid off of the bed, finding his boxers in front of the facing wall. "Call me all the names you want Ino, as long as I get that information on Anko, I will let you say whatever you need to say to me."

She gripped the bed sheets with such force that the vessels in her fingers could have burst. She wanted to claw him into shreds, strap him down and show him what happens to men who tried to leave her.

She would have control of him no matter what she had to do!

She slung her legs over the bed, watching him as he gather the rest of his belongings slowly. He was still spent from the night before, and she knew he wouldn't be able to fight her off for long. Her devilish eyes slid to the lamp sitting unexpectedly on the nightstand.

Itachi rubbed the back of his neck as he gathered the rest of his garments. He felt a little better now that he had said all of that to Ino. He didn't feel bad about most of it; he knew it would only make her angry, not regretful. He knew from his many chats with Deidara that Ino was the one who used and threw away others, and not once had it been the other way around. This was probably going to screw up her ego, but he was certain she would get over it after a few rounds with Deidara or someone else.

"So," he began, putting his shirt on carefully. There were several claw marks all over his upper back. Damn that Ino. "When do I get your half of the de-"

Ino watched with a dirty glare as Itachi hit the floor, chips from the lamp she had slammed into his head falling like sharp rain around him. The Uchiha didn't move with exception for his chest as he struggled for air past the pain. She grinned, feeling much better now. She turned away from him long enough to pull a special item out from under the bed. Opening the white box, she pulled out a case of syringes and several vials of chemicals that she was legally uncertified to have.

Like she cared.

She kicked Itachi onto his back and placed her slender foot on his chest bone.

He groaned in pain. His head was throbbing all over again. However, as soon as Ino lifted that needle in his face, he felt pain in other places.

She chuckled as she stepped back. "As soon as I'm done with your little bitch girlfriend," she held up the syringe, which glowed in glory. "I'm going to come back and show you what happens when you don't use your balls like a real man."

He tried to grab one of her ankles as she stomped away, but she was too swift. "Ino!" he gasped after her, trying to crawl, trying to do anything to get her from walking out that door.

Ino smirked as Itachi called after her. She loved the adrenaline rush dictatorship gave her. Especially now that she had the one man she was being to think she'd never break on his stomach begging for her.

Well, not in the way she wanted, but close enough.

Just as she reached the foot of the steps, a certain blond who she had completely forgotten about stepped around the corner.

"What's with all the commotion?" he asked through a mouthful of Rice Krispies.

Ino walked past him. She couldn't bother herself with his absurd self now that she was on this important mission.

"Ino?" Deidara called after her. The door slammed and he was left with curiosity. He looked upstairs, and suddenly wondered where that bastard of a friend of his Itachi was. His eyes widened when a thought came to him. He smirked and placed the cereal bowl on the floor, limping upstairs as carefully as he could. His leg was numb thanks to the pain meds and he could barely feel the break.

"So, you finally cracked!" Deidara laughed as he pushed open Ino's bedroom. He just had a hunch he'd be there, possible still naked if he was lucky. However, the sight he met was far from pleasing.

Itachi laid sprawled out on the floor, the side of his head gushing blood. His pupils were heavily dilated, but alive with panic. "Dei-dara." he gasped, reaching out for the fallen angel.

Any other person would have thrown themselves down to help an injured friend. But Deidara was far from a good friend, compassion wise anyway. He grinned and circled Itachi, shaking his head as he studied his damage. "I can't believe you let Ino fuck**, and **beat the Hell out of you."

"Would you shut up and help me up?" Itachi hissed, cradling the back of his head.

Deidara shrugged, heading towards the door. "Sorry dude, you're on your own on this one."

"You bastard!" Itachi exclaimed, curling on his side.

"You know it."

Itachi wiped a trail of sweat off of his forehead. "Would you at least…help me up?"

Deidara sighed, his body already in the hallway. Cursing, he spun around and limped to Itachi's side. "Do not speak a word of this to Ino." he instructed, positioning the Uchiha's arm around his neck. The process was very difficult for both of them: Deidara's leg was beginning to ache, and Itachi was too dizzy to do much work. Somehow though, Deidara managed to get Itachi on his feet.

"Damn it Itachi," the blond hissed, "move your weight-" Itachi completely gave out and pressed into Deidara, causing them both to collide onto the messy bed. As soon as they separated, Deidara shot up, brushing his self off while trying to stay off his bad leg. "Fuck germs!" he shrieked.

Itachi even in his barely conscious state rolled his eyes at Deidara's immature outburst. He took his time sitting up, getting a plan together. "Could you…get me a phone?"

"Hell no." Deidara stated simply, taking a seat in Ino's fuzzy blue chair across the bed.

Itachi didn't try to convince him any further. He was seeing different colors everywhere, and knew he couldn't win the fight with the pain.

_Black._

_Soothing White._

_Purple. _

_Black._

_Brown._

_Black._

_Red._

_Black._

_I'll kill you Ino._

"…Itachi…" Deidara inquired when Itachi suddenly stopped moving. He walked over to him and poked the side of the head, watching it slowly lag to the side. He scoffed. "I cannot believe you of all people would actually let her use you like that." He laid down, edging closer to the body sprawled out on the dirty sheets. "For God sakes, you're supposed to be cold, unemotional, and…" He stopped when he felt the words curl into his tongue. "Well, let's just say if Ino ever touches you again, I'm going to hang her out a window by her hair."***1**

He got off of the bed and headed downstairs in search for a phone.

.,.,.,.

Ino glanced down a the cellular device humming a very indecorous tune:

_If you're horny, let's do it!_

_Ridin', my Pony_

_My saddle's, waiting_

_Come and jump on it-_

She glanced at the caller ID as it played.

_Hell Hole. _

She smirked. Itachi must be calling to beg her not to go through with it. The blond had enough brains to pull over long enough to answer the phone. "Itachi," she purred, "you are going to have to do so much more than beg if you want me to come home."

There was a laugh at the other end, and not the laugh was expecting to hear.

"_Oh baby, Itachi didn't have to beg to get you to strip down. I'm sure of it."_

Ino gripped the phone tightly. "What is it Deidara?"

Another chuckle.

"_I just wanted to know what the Hell is going through your head right now."_

Ino turned the car back on; she wasn't going to be on the phone much longer. "That is between me, Itachi, and that slut he's going all out for."

"_Oh, purple-haired bitch." _Deidara spoke with a hint of bitterness. _"Look babe, forget about her. She probably got locked up anyway."_

"And I'm going to make sure she stays that way." Ino stated, smirking at the many gory ways she could dismember this Anko Mitarashi.

"_You'll go to prison."_ Deidara warned.

"They can't catch me." Ino retorted smugly.

"_My, aren't we full of our…"_

Ino listened for about thirty seconds to silent static. "Deidara?" she switched ears to properly turn on a curve. "Deidara, you there?" Just as she was about to hang up, a burst of static clawed at her eardrum.

"…_Your parents are home and Itachi is gone!"_

Ino pressed on breaks right there in the middle of the streets. "What? Why in the Hell weren't you watching him?"

Deidara didn't seem to hear her. _"Ah damn! Ino I've got to go!"_

"No," Ino ordered. "Get your ass upstairs and find Itachi."

"_Are you kidding? Your parents hate me, and I sure as Hell hate them! I'm out of here!"_

Ino hit the horn with her fist. "Deidara," she growled in a threatening tone, "If they find him then so help me I'll-"

"_INO I GOT TO GO!"_

The line went dead, and Ino was left to sow in her anguish alone. She reminded herself that tracking down Anko was of the utmost importance, no matter what consequences were ahead. Itachi would belong to her, and her alone, until she was done with the Uchiha.

With a smirk on her lips, she turned into the police station.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.

The mortified girl kept trying to meet his eyes, but found them angrier and more threatening each time she was given the satisfaction. He was pissed at her, but she didn't see why her attempt at suicide would bother him. It was her life, not his.

Anruku was silent in her glass box, observing the entire scene with mockery.

"What were you thinking?" his gruff voice spoke at last.

She tore her now bandaged arms from his grip. It had been well over three hours since the shower incident, and yet she was exhausted beyond recognition "I don't have to explain myself to you."

He gripped her shoulders, pushing her into the thick leather. "Your right. You don't; because I've learned all I need to."

Anko grabbed his collar, yanking his face down to her level but still a good distance away. "You know NOTHING about me!" To her surprise, a smirk landed on Orochimaru's flawless face. "On the contrary love, I know EVERYTHING about you."

"Yeah right." Anko scoffed, but her heart was pounding.

"Do you honestly think I didn't do my homework on the dear girl I was allowing into my home?"

Anko watched him stand and retrieve a file of some sort off of the coffee table. He flipped through it, that smile never leaving his mouth.

"Let's see…taken away from your parents when you were about eight, sorry to hear that. Had exceptional high grades despite being in the foster care system for three years…left the system at fourteen and…" He closed the file, "Everything else is a blur."

Anko rolled her eyes. "So what? That's just stuff some old guy put in a file; it says nothing about **me**. Who** I** am. What **I'm** like. It's just history."

Orochimaru sat on the coffee table, crossing his arms and legs and staring at her with an all-knowing glare in his eye. "You love all sweets and junk foods and gorge out on them as often as you can, probably because you rarely got them when you were a child. You bought all of those bulky clothes yesterday because you're afraid once this whole situation is over and done with that I'm going to kick you out and you don't want to go out into the world without some kind of warmth. You dream about your parents every night yet wake up without remembering what they look like, which makes you so angry that you cut yourself. I'm pretty sure that you lost your virginity to some bastard because he promised he would love your forever-"

"Shut. Up." Anko growled in a warning tone. He **had **been paying attention. He knew her motives and thoughts despite how she barely opened up to him. How?

"I'm guessing the relationship didn't last?" Orochimaru inquired.

Anko stood and walked across the room, trying to rid herself of his stare.

He watched her for a long time and knew she was trying not to cry. He didn't want her to, partly because he wouldn't know how to deal with it. He didn't know how to deal with other people's emotions nor his own.

"Anko," Orochimaru spoke, closing the space between them and gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "I don't care for sweets, but I will bye them every day as long as you are here. You are more than welcome to stay no matter what the courts decide, as long as I don't find you passed out every day from blood loss. If you can't sleep, we can talk all night. You may scream, cuss, and hate me for as long as you want if it helps."

Anko shrugged out of his grip. "Why?" she questioned. Her voice was sour, but there was no real hatred in her tone. "Why do you care about what happens to me? What do you want from me?"

Orochimaru clenched up. He didn't know the answer to that, but he knew what was running his attentions. He smiled, this time more warmly. "Because, my dear, hard-headed brat, I was just like you once."

Anko could have slapped him. "You dare try to compare your pampered life with mine?"

He shrugged. "Don't pay too much attention with the outside, Anko. I was just as a screw-up as you when I was eighteen."

His words stabbed at Anko a little. She knew now why she felt almost safe around him. He had a familiar scent about him, a comfort his presence gifted her. Maybe he was like her. Somewhat.

She flicked his head, reestablishing their playfully demeanors. "I'm sure you were worse."

He smirked and patted her head. "You better believe it." He was more than surprised that she didn't wretch from his grip. She was finally starting to trust him. His fingers curled around those locks and examined them more closely. She had beautiful hair, so soft and warm that he could have engulfed it.

Why he was doing that, Anko's fingers and slid down to his jaw. His skin was the color of snow, but as warm as soothing fire. She had a sudden interest to know what it tasted like. She blushed at this thought and let him go, only to have Orochimaru keep her in place. He was having a similar want as well.

_Why not? _

His head lowered, his lips bulging out to find hers.

_They had nothing to lose. _

She arched herself up slightly, readying herself for his touch. She was scared, yet excited.

_There weren't any consequences in a simply kiss._

A knock stopped their union, much to their frustrations. But also to their relief.

"I'll…get it." Orochimaru sighed. He looked through the eyehole expecting to see Nagato or Konan, but was horrified at who was there instead. "Hiruzen." Orochimaru growled a greeting. He heard a hiss from behind him. Anruku was getting defensive again.

The elder pushed his way into Orochimaru's home, his hand tangleing in his collar. "Where is she you little bastard?"

Orochimaru was completely passive. However, his heart was racing. Hiruzen was here to take Anko away_. From him?_

Anko stepped into view, watching the men glare each other down. "H-hey…" she squeaked. The eyes in the room turned to her.

Hiruzen's harsh scowl turned into a welcoming smile. "Miss Mitarashi! I'm so glad to see that you're doing well," his eyes turned back to Orochimaru for a moment, "despite the circumstances."

Orochimaru's hand slipped from the door. He was crashing into a deep depression as the thought of seeing Anko dragged out by him became more and more realistic.

"Uh, yeah." Anko said. Her attention was focused on Orochimaru's pale expression. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"Well," Hiruzen spoke, trying to regain her attention. "I have excellent news regarding the courts."

Anko's mind clicked. That was why she was here. Just two days ago she had hated Orochimaru and the whole situation. She had craved her freedom, and still did, but now she wanted to remain in Orochimaru's captivity.

"And?" Anko pressed.

Hiruzen dug through his pockets and brought out a small envelope. "The charges are insufficient; you are free to go. I'm also glad to say that they've given those boys that were with you similar punishments."

Anko held the paper in her hand, but couldn't find the energy to open it and read the information for herself. She was free. She could do whatever she wanted, go wherever she pleased, and spend time with whomever she saw fit. She looked up, excepting a pleased look from Orochimaru as well, but saw that he looked absolutely miserable.

"So," Hiruzen chirped, clapping his gloved hands together. "Just grab your things and I'll take you wherever you need to go."

Anko looked back at him and then at Orochimaru. If she left now, there was a large chance she would never see him again. Nagato surely wouldn't let her into the building now that she wasn't under Orochimaru's guard, and phone calls were just stupid.

She stood frozen a moment more before she met Hiruzen's eyes with a determined expression on hand. "Thank you sir," she smiled, "But I am where I need to be."

Orochimaru's head shot up, his mind replaying her words over and over again.

Hiruzen's face paled. "I beg your pardon."

Anko shrugged and lowered her head to hid the growling blush on her cheeks. "Orochimaru has been…very kind these last few days, and claimed that I was more than welcome to stay with him when the courts made their decision. So…" she crossed her arms. "I'm here." She watched Hiruzen's eyes squint in a confused matter. She glanced at Orochimaru and noticed that he was also looking at her, but his eyes were filled with terror. She followed their gazes and discovered that they were look at her blood-soaked, bandaged arms.

"Anko," Hiruzen began to question, "What happened to you arms?"

Anko lowered her limbs quickly and pulled her sleeves over the real damage. "I…I…" she didn't know whether to get the truth out and defend Orochimaru or lie.

She was too rusty in option two.

"What does it look like?" she replied rather smugly. Her sarcasm had gotten her out of many dire situations, what were the odds that they couldn't get her out of this one?

Hiruzen turned on Orochimaru. "What the Hell did you do?"

_High._

"It wasn't his fault." Anko immediately stepped in. "It's…just something I do. I was just-"

"I knew I should have come here sooner." Hiruzen continued. "Honestly Orochimaru, what don't you screw up at?"

Anruku hissed from her cage, feeling the tension in the room.

Orochimaru however stayed still, taking in everything that the geezer was throwing at him.

"You fucking moron! Is it enough that you have to mess your life and everyone else's around you but now hers?"

Orochimaru's fists crumpled up like paper. It took every fiber in his soul not to sock the old man right in the face.

Becoming sick of the man's silence, Hiruzen turned back to Anko. "Miss Mitarashi," Hiruzen spoke. "Grab your things, and come with me."

Anko stared at Orochimaru. He was pissed.

"I'm not going." she stated firmly.

The man laughed, but it held a hint of nervousness. "You are not staying with someone who makes you want to hurt yourself."

"You can't do shit old man." Anko spat, her old rage resurfacing too quickly for her own safely. "I'm eighteen damn years old; if I want to stay with this bastard than I sure as Hell will!" She stormed up to him, watching in secret satisfactory as his eyes widened far beyond their limit. "Now get out of this apartment before I throw you down those long ass stairs."

The room stunned with silence. Even Anruku had shunned back into the darkest part of her cage.

After a moment, Hiruzen's pale features dropped and transformed into a glare. "Fine," he turned to Orochimaru who smugly held the door open. "But this is far from over."

Their eyes stayed lock until Hiruzen disappeared from sight. Even then, Orochimaru was afraid to move. That is, until Anko began to laugh so loud the walls shook.

"Oh, My, God!" Anko chortled as she flopped back on the couch. "Did you see the look on that old ghost's face! My God man, totally priceless!"

Orochimaru watched as Anko swarmed in her self-humor. He was shocked that she didn't jump at the chance to leave him. Didn't she hate him? Didn't she hate what he was? He approached her as she quieted down. He took a seat beside her, watching her red face transform back into its normal color.

She smirked at him, knowing all too well that he was confused as Hell. She had not thought about her recent decision, but she did know that she was welcome here more than anywhere else. Besides, the closer she was too Orochimaru, the more she could screw with him. "So," she edged closer, eyeing him seductively. "Who's cooking dinner tonight…roomy?"

.,.,..,.,.,.

Hiruzen ran a hand through his witling hair. He couldn't deny that Anko's threat had shaken him up, but he knew it would all pass quite soon.

It had for Orochimaru.

They were so much alike, yet so diverse.

Orochimaru had been, and in some ways still was, rough and quiet. When Hiruzen found him, he had interlocked most of his emotions, daring himself to feel anything.

Anko was loud and spiteful. Her ability to feel had been locked away when he had first met her, but since her stay with Orochimaru, she had opened up some. He was glad to see this progress from her, but hated the influence she was getting it from. He couldn't let it continue.

Not with that _bastard_.

Just as the elder reached the lobby, a young girl, probably not much older than Anko, stormed past him with an agitated expression on her face.

"Good morning!" he called up after her. He received her delicate middle finger as a response. He chortled as he exited the lobby where the flustered land lord and lady busied themselves to clean up the mess around the room. "Kids…"

.,.,.,.,.

Orochimaru stirred the shrimp and vegetables in the skillet with little care as he watched Anko play with her silverware impatiently.

_What a child._

"Is it done yet?" Anko whined, lowering her chin on the table. She was hungrier than she thought.

He rolled his eyes and set the pan down. "I will be soon."

Anko groaned loudly, falsely sobbing into the shiny wood. "But I'm hungry!"

"You know, so am I." Orochimaru picked up an apple from a bowl behind him. He watched with glee as Anko's head jerked up as he took a large bit from it, creating an enticing crunch as his teeth tore from the ample fruit.

She glared at him for egging her on. Here she was practically starving and he had the gall to kid with her! She held out her hand. "Give me that."

He turned away, continually biting the fruit. "Mmm." He hummed.

Anko jumped from her chair and grabbed at it, but Orochimaru was a second quicker and held it out of her reach.

"Say please."

"Man, I have killed people over things like this. Hand me the damn apple or I will break you!"

He arched his neck up and managed to take a smaller bit from it before Anko grabbed his hair. He fought her off as long as she could before she jumped into his lap and grabbed the fruit from his hand. "Yeah-Ah!"

The chair toppled over with both of them in it. Anko landed on her side with something soft directly under her; the apple had rolled under the counter. Her teeth closed together in an angry grind. The soft object under her began to move and she shot up, horrified to see that she was on top of Orochimaru.

"…Hi…" he sighed in a nervous puff.

Anko grinned foolishly. "Yo…"

Neither one of them seemed too disturbed with the connection they had. In fact, they rather liked. He was warm, welcoming.

_**He**__ had been warm, but willing in a second to push her away._

She arched down slightly, allowing her face to linger just above his. She hadn't noticed until now how certain features on his face stood out above others.

_I gonna do it this time! I'll-_

Suddenly, a harsh scent entered her nostrils and she moved back.

"Orochimaru…the food!"

"Damn it!" the man hissed as he threw Anko off of him. He shielded his face from the smoke that slowly filled the room and removed the skillet from the heat source before ducking under to find his fire extinguisher. Anko had opened the window and watched as Orochimaru drowned their dinner in white foam.

She leaned against the counter. "Nice going Sherlock."

He glared at her as he scraped the burnt morsels into the sink. "It's your fault for distracting me."

Anko threw a dishrag at him. "I can't help it you're too easily distracted."

He threw it back. "And I can't help it **you're** the distraction!"

"Oh whatever!" Anko shouted as she headed towards the living room. "Annoying piece of work." She added under her breath. "Where's your phone, I'll order takeout."

Orochimaru froze, remembering that he had dismantled the phone after his conversation with Hiruzen the other night. "It…doesn't work." He said quickly.

Anko shrugged and headed to the stairs. "Well then, grab your tie we're going out!"

A knock at the door kept Orochimaru from making a witty remark. His heart swelled when he wondered if it was Hiruzen back with reinforcements.

Anko smirked. "Maybe if we're really quiet he'll go away."

The knocking became stronger though, hard enough to break the door in two.

"That's not him…" Orochimaru mused.

Anko shrugged and started to open the door.

"Anko wait-"

.,.

She was-

**Beautiful.**

The syringe that had been gripped so securely in Ino's fist fell at her feet.

Anko stared at the blond beauty with suspicion. Was she a girlfriend of Orochimaru's? Hell no. "Um…can I help you?"

Ino gulped and tried to steady her composure. "Are…are you…" she gulped and cursed herself to calm down. "Anko Mirashi?"

"Mitarashi." Anko corrected, "And who wants to know?"

Ino's sinful eyes traveled her body in awe. She had an amazing body for a girl her age, so curvy and well-fitted; her skin was just…lickable! Her hair seemed so soft one could lie on it for hours and be comfortable. Her eyes…oh…Those dark orbs held dark secrets she could have so easily fished out.

The flustered blond leaned in closely, causing Anko to step back from the uncomfortable connection. "My name is Ino; Ino Yamanaka." She greeted. "I'm a friend of Deidara's."

One of Anko's eyebrows arched up in question. "I'm sorry, who?"

She frowned. "Blond hair, idiot, runs with a bastard called Uchiha Itachi-"

"Itachi!" Anko gasped. Her head spun with the images of the dark youth she had left bleeding in that moldy house days ago. It could have been years.

Ino smirked. "Yep. And let me just say," one of her hands traveled along Anko's face. "they are very worried about you."

Orochimaru popped into site, staring at Ino in annoyed disapproval. "May I help you miss?"

Ino's grin became more sinister. There were too many sexy people in this building.

"Hi sexy, you wanna-"

"I'm gay." Orochimaru blurted out.

Anko stared at him. "What?"

Ino frowned. "Oh," she turned her charm back on Anko. "Anyhow, Itachi and Deidara are just in jitters for you."

Anko smiled. They had missed her. That thought alone was just enough to make her spirit soar. And then it dropped when Ino's voice entered her head.

"However," she drawled. "I'm not too sure I want someone like…you…around my boys."

Anko glared at her. "I didn't know you were their mother as well." She growled. Ino laughed, and Anko couldn't surpass the uneasy shudder at the melody her voice created.

"I only meant I'd like to get to know you better. How about dinner, on me of course."

"Well, actually," she looked back at Orochimaru who seemed to be a bodyguard towering over her decision.

_He was winning __**control**__ over her._

"I'd love to." She said without too much thought. "Let me grab my coat."

Ino had smirked, unbeknownst to Anko that **she** was winning the control Anko so desperately wanted to keep.

She pasted Orochimaru without so much as a glance; only a blur between friendly strangers. She was back downstairs in a flash, heading back out the door while keeping her silent composure. They were just roommates, nothing more.

But when Ino closed the door on his passive features that Anko felt like she had just walked out of a murder scene, feeling cold, and just as dead as the person wrapped in plastic on the floor.

.,.,.,.

Ino had driven her (in a car) to a rather exclusive bar right in the center of Konoha. Anko had this strange incentive that the blond may have just wanted to get her drunk, considering she bought four shots the second they entered the establishment. However, Anko had more than enough experience of how to dodge the possible date-rape drug many of her "dates" had flavored her drink with.

"So," Ino began, "Tell me about yourself."

Anko casually tapped at her crystal shot. "Let's see…I enjoy sunsets, long walks through the streets, jumping fences, pissing off cops, and…oh, getting people thrown in hospitals."

Ino burst out laughing. "You are absolutely hilarious!"

Anko smirked. "Sure."

Ino leaned in slightly, wanting to get a look into Anko's beautiful features. "You have such horrific eyes, Anko." her orbs scaled downwards until they fell on Anko's supple breasts. "among other things."

Anko held back a laugh. It had been a while since a woman of the equivalent sex hit on her. It was kind of refreshing, considering the male scum she had dealt with in the past.

Except the one she had left waiting at the house.

"Not too bad yourself." Anko commented, picking a cherry out of the small bowl that had been set out for their enjoyment. She took a slow bite out of the fruit and allowed the juice to slide down her jaw, licking it sensationally.

Ino could barely contain herself. This woman was more than she had wanted. Screw killing her; she wanted a piece of this action!

"Anko," Ino spoke with a small lump in her voice, "are you "seeing" anyone?"

"You mean, am I "fucking" anyone?"

Ino giggled, a light blush engulfing her cheeks now that her little desire was discovered. "Well, if you want to get technical…" her petite foot slid up Anko's leg and into a very forbidden place. She watched the mysterious woman lurch, but not entirely with pleasure.

_This isn't right. I don't want this._

"Um…" Anko muttered nervously. She didn't mean for this game to reach past level 1, but now that it had, she was a player on a board of unfamiliar rules. If the drinks in front of her weren't spiked, she'd probably have taken them both in one gulp "I'm sorry." she laughed. "This was a mistake."

Ino froze. She was being rejected again. This beautiful, lost creature was resister her and all she had to offer; just like that bastard Itachi. "I don't think so." she pressed. "I think that-"

"Goodbye." Anko said quickly.

"Hold on!" Ino called after her as the spiky haired girl fled out the door. She tried to follow her, but the girl was running with speed not even she possessed. "Anko wait!"

She had heard the blonds pleas, but she couldn't find the gall in her to stop. She had done this for far too long. She was always running from the things that made her uncomfortable.

That made her afraid.

A lack of air in her lungs finally kicked in and she came to a stop beside a brick wall. She pushed herself deep into the rough surface and hugged herself closely as protection against the bitter cold. Why did she resist like that? There had been times when she would do just about anything to a stranger for a night of warmth and quiet. She never downright sold herself _(except on that dire occasion with Kakashi), _but she went all out for several people.

But now that she had a home, or a house at least, she just didn't feel…right doing something like that.

It's not like she was in a commitment or anything, right? She couldn't deny that she was beginning to feel something other than hatred brewing within the depths of her blackened heart, yet she didn't want to acknowledge it.

_I am numb._

_I wasn't supposed to feel __**anything**__!_

She buried her head in her knees, pushing her head into the wall behind her repeatedly.

_Just kill me. Maybe if I die, so will these thoughts. I don't want to love. I don't want to feel again. I don't want to smile, to laugh, to feel a warm touch…wait…_

"Hey kid, are you alright?"

Anko lurched back from the grip on her. "Get-wait, don't I know you?"

The man, with his gentle face and abnormally tall height, smiled. "I thought I recognized that hunched-over figure." he extended a hand. "Of course, the snow compared to the shadows of a jail cell through me off."

Anko's eyes widened. This was the weird looking guy from the Konoha jail. The nice guy.

Jiraiya.

He chuckled gently at her child-like expression, "Give me your hand sweetheart."

Anko's curious orbs transformed into a harsh glare. "Don't talk to me like I'm some kind of kid." she hissed as she grabbed his forearm to pull herself to her feet. She turned her back to him but did not move; she didn't want to go back just yet.

"What are you doing out this late at night anyway?" He began to slip of his coat as he rambled on, "And in this weather you'll catch your death." he slipped the silky material over Anko's shoulders, but she thrashed away quickly.

"Don't touch me you sick freak!"

Jiraiya stepped back, remembering her over-reactive temper. "Alright, just trying to be a little sympathetic here."

"I don't need your sympathy, I don't need anything from any of you!" She squatted into the snow, covering her face. She felt the icy hot tears spilling over her eyes and hoped that they would stop if he didn't leave right away.

Jiraiya crept down beside her and carefully patted her head. She lurched away from him again but he continued to sooth her like a pet cat.

"Would you just go away?" she screamed through her knees.

"Did Orochimaru kick you out?" Jiraiya whispered. "Is that why you're out here?"

"No!" Anko wailed. "I just went for a walk."

Jiraiya nodded and tried to figure out another reason she was here. "Did he hurt you?"

Anko stiffened. Yeah, he had hurt her. Still hurting her. He was making her want to feel again. He was breaking down the wall she had built around her heart.

_He's a complete stranger who's going to make me get my hopes up._

_Kakashi hit the mark dead-center on that._

_Itachi barely grazed it._

_Orochimaru was stretching the cracks._

"Kid," Jiraiya whispered, "I know you hate me, you hate all of us, but I really want to help you. You're so young and beautiful, and you have so much potential that is shines." he ran a hand through her silky hair. She was so cute.

"Shut up." she hissed, wiping her nose. "That last guy who said those kind of things to me lost his house after he kicked me out of it," her expression became grim, "right after he fucked me."

He chuckled encouragingly, "I have very few morals kiddo, but I know better than to sleep with a psycho bitch before the second date."

Despite the pain in Anko's heart, she laughed. This guy was a total nut, and defiantly the kind of person she'd hang out with. However, if he called her "kiddo" one more time, she'd beat him black and blue.

Jiraiya grinned in his most charming manner. "Anyhow," he soothed. "Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

Anko gave him a sinister look. "Why? You know someplace I can go?"

The audacious man transformed into a blushing sissy. "W-well I-!"

"I'm going back to Orochimaru's," Anko stated with a smirk, "He's letting me live with him until I can make other arrangements."

Jiraiya frowned. "He's treating you okay, isn't he?"

Anko rolled her eyes. "Don't worry old man, we're using protection." she smirked at the even deeper red and the girl could have sworn there was a dark line of liquid exiting his right nostril.

She burst out into laughter. "I'm joking you fool!" she pointed to her nose to signify Jiraiya's perverted give away.

He wiped the blood away quickly and placed on a hard expression. "Will you be alright or not?"

Anko calmed down enough to answer his question. "Yeah, I know the way." she began to leave him, pulling her coat tightly to her goose-bumped chest.

"Are you sure?"

Anko paused, turning back only to grin. "You know that deep apprehensiveness you get when you walk home late at night? Well darling, that feeling is me. I am the night, and I will beat the Hell out of you if you run into me at the wrong time." she winked. "So to answer your question," the tail of her coat flew out as she continued on, "I'll be just fine."

Jiraiya's eyes followed her. What an enchantress she was! But in all seriousness, what was going on between Anko and Orochimaru? She was barely eighteen, and Orochimaru had long hit twenty-five.

_Orochimaru was learning to smoke around the time that kid was born._

He dug his feet into the concrete to keep from going after her. Orochimaru wouldn't hurt her, would he? He had lost virtually all touch to with the beast that used to be his best friend; he couldn't be sure about anything anymore. But he trusted Hiruzen. If he had allowed Anko to stay with the mysterious man, than that must mean everything was alright.

Still, he'd open up his home to Anko if everything when downhill.

_I'd open my sheets as well!_

Jiraiya chuckled. "I am the fucking Devil!"

.,.

The door opened, and the sight Anko found was slightly disturbing. Orochimaru was on the couch, his shirt discarded, his pants unzipped, with the python slithering all over his body. He glanced up slightly when she entered, but his expression held no approval of her return. "Yo…" he sighed. Even Anruku hissed her a greeting.

"H-hey." she whispered, closing the door with the same softness in her voice. She stood there not knowing what to say, let alone how to explain to him about the events of tonight. "Should…I be concerned

He rose to place Anruku in her cage, giving the reptile a quick _kiss _on the muzzle before closing the lid. "Just giving my girl some attention."

Anko's eyes twitched. _Okay, that is weird._

"So…" Orochimaru spoke as he put his shirt back on. "Where did you two go?"

Anko took a seat on the couch, hoping he would join her soon. "Just out to some bar." she chuckled a little nervously. "That blond moron tried to drug me."

"You must be used to it."

Anko couldn't tell by his voice alone if he was joking or trying to insult her. "Barely. Oh, and I met a friend of yours on the way out, Jiraiya"

Orochimaru gave her a questionable look. He had no friends.

She lowered her eyes and formed the words of poison. "I'm…sorry. You know, for walking out like that."

He smirked. He could have mocked her and would have had the right to, but knew it would only be childish. He didn't own her; she was in his home as a guest, and could come and go as she pleased.

_She doesn't belong to me…_

"Don't worry about it." he stated with the gentlest smile he could muster. A yawn over took him suddenly, and a wave of sleepiness soon followed. "Anko, it's late, I'd like to go to bed now if you don't mind."

"Of course." she spoke, jumping up from his sleeping place. She pivoted towards the stairs but then realized the destination she was heading to: **His** room.

_I don't belong here._

"You should sleep in your own room." Anko stated.

"That's not going to happen." Stated the man on the couch.

Anko turned to him, a firm look in her eyes. "Orochimaru," she began, keeping her arms at her side with her shaking fist tightly clenched together. "I think this whole hospitality thing is stupid, and it makes you way out of character."

One of Orochimaru's eyes opened.

She continued. "If we're going to live under the same roof, I want to be your equal; not some kid you though it was a good idea to take in. I want your cooperation, not your pity."

He dwelled on her words for a moment. Was this what she **really **wanted from him? Since the moment she had moved in with him, he could tell they had developed a closeness towards each other. He new her scent now, and he was inhaling it. Was this a way for her to get even closer to him, or did she have something more sinister in mind?

"Alright." he agreed, getting off the couch. "Then I guess we'll be **equally** sharing the bed."

Anko's impassive stared instantly changed to a heated glare. "You little Son of a Bitch."

He shrugged and threw the rumpled blanket he had been sleeping with in her face, which she immediately ripped off. "You coming?"

"You moron!" she screamed as he got further and further up. "This is not what I meant when I meant when I said I wanted to be your equal!"

"You can have the couch then!" his now faint voice called back.

Anko threw the blanket across the room and stormed upstairs, throwing the bedroom door open. She watched in fuming silence as he made himself nice and comfortable, a sly smirk on his elegant face. Judging by their height and weight differences, she'd probably end up down a flight of stairs if she fought him off. Sighing in defeat, she very carefully, very hesitatingly slipped in beside him, her body contracting slightly at the added heat from his body. She felt like an idiot to be so nervous; they weren't going to do anything!

"Comfy?" Orochimaru's silky voice echoed to her.

"Shut up, and if you touch me, I'm calling 911."

He turned over on his opposite side, catching Anko's glare. "I am 911."

"Well then report yourself on homicide." She turned her back to him, curling herself up. How close was the nearest window?

Orochimaru stared at her tense back warily. She was a worldly canvas of pain and secrets that he was dying to explore. Doing so without her permission would make the journey even more exciting.

"Why don't you trust me?" he began.

Anko clawed at her pillow. "Because you're a cop, and the most sarcastic weirdo I've ever met in my life."

"What do you have against cops anyway?" Anko's tenseness suddenly died, and Orochimaru could hear the slightest sob escape from her throat. He leaned over and placed a careful hand on her shoulder. "Talk to me Anko."

Why not? He couldn't change the past. "When I was eight years old, a group of cops broke into my house and dragged me away from my parents; I didn't even get to say goodbye."

Orochimaru watched her rise to wrap her arms around her knees. "I was tossed back and forth in foster homes, but when I was fifteen, I ran away and began a life alone. I was so sure that I didn't need anyone, and for the longest time, I didn't. I stole, I fought, and hurt, did everything I knew to do to survive." her eyes became very sad. "When I was sixteen, I…" her voice began to break, but she held it together to finish her tale. Someone had to know the truth. "I met a man, Kakashi. He was three years older than me, and ten times as charming. He let me stay in his house…and fed me…bought me clothes…"

As Anko's shaking increased, Orochimaru's heartbeat began to slow to an alarming pace. He knew where she was going with her story.

"And then, after two days of magic, he asked me for something in return for his hospitality." A weak, careless smile crossed her face. "I was scared out of my mind, but I was so sure I could trust him, he was so kind…I fell in love with him…"

"Anko," Orochimaru rushed. "You don't have to-"

"He kicked me out the next day." She buried her head in her knees and let the memories die. But they were alive, and pulsing, and laughing at her.

_You actually think I loved you? Oh come on Anko, you're stupid as Hell, but even you could have seen that I wanted nothing more to do with you! Damn girl, you are a laugh!_

She jumped slightly when Orochimaru placed an are around her and pulled her to him slowly. "I'm so sorry. That bastard shouldn't have lived for doing that."

He didn't…

Anko pressed her head into his chest, blocking out that guilty conscious of hers. "There, **now** you know everything about me. Your turn."

Orochimaru's eyes widened into saucers. "Um, maybe tomorrow."

Anko pulled back, the once sorrowful expression replaced with a maddened smirk. "What? Do you have some skeleton in the closet that you don't want little ol' me to know about?"

"Several." Orochimaru muttered as he looked away, hoping Anko would get the hint that he did not want to bring his past into the open. However, luck hated his guts.

"Come on," Anko pressed, terribly excited to learn something about the mysterious Orochimaru. "Please? I'm pretty sure I've done far worse then you ever-"

"Anko," Orochimaru growled, "I really don't want to talk about it, so please show me just a little respect."

Anko froze, unaccustomed to being talked to so harshly. She was hurt, but she saw that the emotion in his eyes were far greater than his. Gulping her fury down, she nodded and turned over on her side and allowed the man beside her sulk in his secrecy.

Orochimaru growled with frustration. He always told himself that he was not afraid of anything, yet when it came to the vivid and horrifyingly real details of his childhood and late teen hood, he could break down like a tantrum child.

"I'm sorry," he whisper to her ear.

Anko shrugged, the warmth from him causing to sleep to slowly take her as well. "Will you tell me tomorrow?"

"…maybe." he answered

Anko sighed, too tired to care now. "Alright…"

He placed a hand on her side, running it up and down her silky shirt. "I want to tell you Anko, I truly do. But you'll hate me. Don't say you won't, because you will."

"Yeah…"

He dared to move a little closer and lay his head next to hers. "You are so much stronger than I am, Miss Mitarashi. I wish I could take your strength from you, but I can't. You're too independent and stubborn to let something like that to happen."

"Mmm…hmm…"

He brushed a mass of hair away from her ear and whispered one last request into her head.

"Anko?"

"Wh-at…" Anko groaned.

He pressed his mouth close to her ear, wanting to make sure she heard him. "…Can I keep you?"

"…Yeah…" she slurred.

He smiled. For once in his life, he felt alive. Wanted.

**Loved.**

Even if she didn't remember this in the morning, he'd find away to get her stay. Yes, he had become too attacked to her company.

He kissed her cheek gently, watching as she shifted uncomfortable from the skin contact.

"Orochimaru…close the window…it's cold…"

His heart sank again.

.,.,.,.

Ino ran a hand through her tussled locks. She was irritated. How could two people be so damn difficult! All she had wanted was a few rounds of casual sex with those sexy individuals; was that too much to ask?

She took a sharp turn on the curve leading to her destination: home. She hoped Deidara had made it out without her parents catching him. Maybe she'd call him later and get him to sneak in for a little late-night loving. She could really use the magic that was Deidara! Speaking of magic men, where did Itachi go?

Barely a second after that thought ran through her head, a large dark figure jumped in front of her car. She screamed and pressed on brakes, but the car was already screeching to a stop by the force of the body in her way.

Everything stopped. Damn, was it dead?

Slowly, the creature began to lurch upward, reveling a bloody, some dried, some new, face and a pair of piercing eyes that the Yamanaka knew all too well.

"Uchiha?" she screamed, honking the horn several times. "Get the Hell off my car!"

Itachi slammed his dirty hands on the hood and limped to the door where he began to bang on the glass. "Open the damn door!"

Ino honked the horn once more as a warning, but Itachi did not relent. When the blond chose shouting at him over doing what he told her, he cursed her and drove his fist into the glass, reaching down to hastily unlock the door before tearing the door open and dragging the disobedient woman out.

"Where is she you little bitch!"

Ino fought with the hands tearing at her shirt. "For God's sake Uchiha I have damn neighbors!"

"Where is she!" he repeated, shaking her harder. "What did you do!"

Ino slapped him as her meek strength could muster; he was on the ground in a single second. "Get a hold of yourself you fucking idiot!" she hissed. From the corner of her eye, she could see a light flash on quickly and a large figure step onto the porch.

"Ino, is everything alright?" the gruff voice called out.

Ino faked a smile, something she was getting better at. "Everything's fine Mr. Akimichi, just some car problems." she glanced at Itachi who was gradually gaining his balance. Blood was oozing from his nose, and Ino continued to smile as if nothing were wrong. "Everything will be fine."

"Well," the neighbor called hesitantly, "Alright then, but if you need a lift or anything, just-"

"Thank you!" she shrilled. "I'll be on my way shortly!" she waited until the father of one of her several ex-boyfriends went back into his home. She than turned her attention to the glaring boy hunched over below her. "Oh don't give me that look." she spat. "This is your fault."

He grabbed her arm, but used it solely to gain his balance and get a grip on the girl's other arm. "Where. Is. Anko?"

She smirked and brushed him off easily. "Give me a break Uchiha!" she scoffed. "I didn't harm your precious fuck buddy; this time at least."

Itachi leaned into Ino's destroyed car, sighing thankfully. "Then…where is she?"

Ino searched through her car for the forbidden file she had "borrowed" from the cute girl behind the front desk at the police station; she was tiring of this game anyway. "Here-"

Itachi snatched it from her, his blood hands staining the pages he scanned through. He found the one sheet he was looking for and let the rest fall to the dirty ground. He lifted his blood shot eyes one last time at the bored blond. "We're through." he hissed, turning his back to her.

"We'll see."

He stopped one last time. "I mean it Ino. I do not ever want to see you again."

_I can still taste you in mouth. I'm going to be sick._

"And if you ever go after Anko or anyone else I know again," his eyes hardened. "I'll fucking kill you." With that, he vanished into the night, one person and one person alone one his very devastated mind.

Ino smirked. It didn't matter, for she had a new target.

_A new obsession._

And that obsession's name was Anko Mitarashi.

.,.,.,.,.

_***1-If's that's not irony, I don't know what is.**_

_**Chapter 7: Sparks and Tempers fly. Love and Lust are mixed. Anko finds a trail of blood leading into her deepest, darkest memory. The scariest part of it all is who is standing in the puddle.**_


	7. The Burning Bottle

_December 12, exactly two years earlier._

_The date her heart opened up for the first time._

_And closed for the last._

_She had been sitting on a crate, letting the world past her by in a blur of smoke from the cigarette she had borrowed off some loser who had tried to pick her up._

_And then, her life hit its climax._

"_Hi."_

_She cared enough to look away from the haze at the stranger. "Hmm…" She half hoped that would satisfy the stranger above her, but he moved in closer, taking the forbidden seat beside her._

"_You have one to spare?" he inquired, pointing a gloved finger at the dying cigarette between her lips._

_She pulled the stub out and flicked it into the snow. "Nope."_

_He sighed, crossing his legs to signal he was not going to leave anytime soon._

_Anko looked the moron over. He was well dressed, unlike her with her shabby jeans, sweater, and signature trench coat. He wore a thick wool sweater, gray khakis, gray boots, and a darker gray scarf that shielded the lower portion of his face. What would someone like here?_

"_Buddy," she began, leaning up, "Is there something in particular you want?"_

_The boy turned to her. Anko had just realized that he had the most spikiest, gray hair she had ever seen. "Is it illegal to take a rest beside trash?"_

_Anko jumped up and slapped him clear across the face, causing the scarf around his face to fall into the wet snow. "Who are you calling trash, you over-dressed, pompous son of a bitch!"_

_The boy rose wordlessly, demonstrating that he was well over a head taller than her. He moved into the dim light in order to retrieve his scarf, revealing in the process a beautifully sculpted face. _

_She was mesmerized; this was the first good-looking to ever pay attention to her._

"_I was referring to the garbage bags love, not you." his eyes scanned over her intestinally. She was about his age, maybe slightly younger. The rags did not still away her beauty in the least, and she had the most piercing brown eyes he'd ever seen. The girl looked away from him, obviously humiliated that she blew up at him in such a way._

"_It's cold tonight," he stated, looking up at the gray-blue sky to see fresh snow beginning to descend from it's prison. He smiled at her, "And I highly doubt that fiery temper of yours will keep you warm. Come back to my place with me."_

_Anko, her cheeks still dark red, glared at the stranger. "Fuck you."_

_He chuckled as if she actually said something funny. "Well, I usually try to befriend my dates before humping the daylight out of them but if you insist on-"_

_Anko grew a clump of snow at him, silencing him. "Shove it moron."_

_He wiped the slush away with the scarf. "I'm just trying to be friendly." Without warning at all, Anko lunged at her and pressed him into a wall, a sharp object of some sort in her hand._

"_Do you know what I do to folks who try to act __**friendly **__towards me?"_

_He grabbed her wrist and lifted it above his head, causing Anko to fall against his chest as he examined the weapon she was going to slice him with. "A razor? Hmm, not exactly your everyday utensil but I'll give you points for creativity." his warm hands crept to her fingers, rearranging the poise the blade. "You have to press to the middle of the throat," he explained without worry or fear for his won worthless life, "that way you get the artery and not just a glob of blood." his hand lowered but remained gripped in hers._

_A fever spread over her ageless face. What did someone of his class and with his charm want some low-life like her? He could have one of those classy drunks that were stumbling out of the bar just down the street, yet he came into this dark nightmare of her. It sparked Anko's original suspicion: he was a cop undercover who picked up any slump they could find._

"_Look buddy," she hissed as she pulled her icy grip away from his fidget one, "I don't know what kind of a psycho you are, but I suggest you get out of this part of the neighborhood before you really get that pretty face of your's messed up."_

_He shrugged. "Fine, I'll leave, but only if you come with me."_

"_Are you out of your mind! You don't even know me!" He leaned in slightly, but Anko didn't panic._

"_That's what could make this so much fun."_

_She stared at him for the longest time_

_There was one thing about him that she wouldn't discover until several years later:_

_**He was just like Orochimaru.**_

_.,.,._

_Two days of happiness, 48 hours of lies._

_He pressed down harder than usual, signifying his newly established lust towards the young girl under his broad body. She sighed at the way his lips danced over her neck and collar bone, inhaling his classy scent. He was being rougher than usual, but she wasn't too worried. He had sworn the moment she walked through those doors that he wouldn't hurt her._

_Ever._

_Of course, trust was something Anko had given up on long before him._

_His sculpted face lifted to meet her eyes and she froze at the animalistic emotions inside them. "Anko," he panted, "Let's take this to the next level."_

_Anko set her face and moved herself up the couch slightly. "Kakashi, we've talked about this."_

"_Come on!" he begged. "One time isn't going to hurt either one of us."_

"_Isn't going to hurt you, you mean." Anko pointed out._

_His patience was melting fast, but he had studied her these past two days. He knew everything about her, her favorite foods, her sleeping habits, where each bruise and scar on her body came from. He knew how to get her to submit to him._

_He rubbed a hand over the slumped shoulders turned to him. He rested his chin on one of those shoulders and whispered a sweet, sweet lie into her pierced ears. "You are so tense Anko, so distrusting. Don't you know I would never hurt you, that I want you so much?"_

_Anko did wonder. She had wondered from the very beginning where this pow-wow of theirs was going to lead them. In those few days, she had gained something from him. He took care of her. He clothed, fed, and warmed her whenever she needed it, and had yet to ask her for anything in return. _

"_I'm numb Kakashi." the abused teen stated. "I don't know how to feel comfort, love, or anything that's supposed to make me feel better."_

_He smirked against her back. She had walked into his trap. "Maybe it's because you've never taken in the pleasure I can give you."_

_She looked at him as he pulled away, her eyes searching him for something to comprehend what he meant._

_He pulled off his shirt carefully, letting it slid from his arms to the floor. "Come on." he extended a hand to her, "I want to make you feel good, okay?" Let me make you feel good Pretty Girl. _

_She smiled at the mention of the nickname he had knighted her with. She had given him one as well, but it was more chaste and annoying than hers. _

_She stared at his warm, dimpled hand, free of calluses and scars. She would be giving a part of herself to him that she could never get back, but she let that thought slid away as she slipped back under him. She saw a flash of Satin on his face, but didn't have time to rethink her choice before her clothes were quickly removed, as were his. She felt his heat bulging against her thigh, but felt none inside herself._

_No matter what, she would always be ice-cold._

_He shoved his rigid male parts deep inside of her, merely groaning at the feeling of her tight, slick walls suffocating him._

_Anko crawled at his spine and tried to pull away from the pain, but Kakashi had such a greater advantage over the situation. He was buffer, heavier, and so hungry that he would dare let her rest until his took what he wanted._

"_Yes…" he moaned when he felt Anko's tight, slick core pulse around him like an unsteady heartbeat. He began to thrust, unconcerned for the inexperienced girl under him. He hadn't done this in weeks, and he had so many sexual needs pent up that he began to sketch out a schedule in his subconscious of what he would do to her. At the moment, she was nothing but a body with a healthy core and a sighing mouth that he could use to his advantage._

_Anko pushed against the moving ridge inside her, and let out a foreign yelp as pleasure pierced at her core. She didn't like why it was there, but she excepted it with a forged grin._

_His mouth lowered to her neck, creating a sweaty bruise as his moaning extended into screams and his simply thrusting turned into stabbing. She yelled at him to calm down, but he simply moaned for her to shut up. She struggled, but it only made him press in harder. Finally, his final groan reacted a scream and his entire body shook, a icy hot liquid shooting into her stomach. By this time, she was so weak she couldn't even glare at him. He pulled out, their gooey juices flowing from her, and gripped the back of her head tightly, prying her mouth open with his free fingers. _

"_Suck." he stated simply, positioning his long manhood over her disobedient mouth._

"_K-!" his member lodged itself deep into her throat, cutting off her words and air supply. The torture only became worse when he began to thrust, just had he had done before. She gagged, but her vomit was lodged painfully in her esophagus. As a dark wind closed her eyes, she could make out the line of a pure jeer on Kakashi's sickenly gorgeous face._

_It wasn't to much longer when that precious air returned to her lungs. It was dark then, and she could barely make out the outline of the man above her. If she didn't remember right then that Kakashi had been fucking her, she would have began to call him out. She tried to speak his name, to question him for his violent motive, but Kakashi's burning hands took hold of her waist and flipped her on her stomach, running those hands of his over her sides and buttocks. She remember what he had done before and began to twist, which only made Kakashi's rough entry hurt more. Without so much as a second for her to adjust, began to pound into her, the blood gushing from her his lubricant._

_She woke up the following morning in a daze, sore. Her throat was raw, and both of her entries ached to the point that she could barely stand. He wasn't there with her, but she knew he was around. Somewhere. Several different emotions coursed through her, yet, anger was not one of them. As she stood to make her way into the restroom, she felt alive for the first time in five years. She smiled at the blood and dried cum that ran down her thighs in discolored rivers. It was a signed of womanhood, of strength, of the love she had endured for the man who gave her everything. _

_She waited all day for that dangerous man to return, and, around eleven, he did, his coal-colored eyes red as fire. He stared at her as she greeted him, staring at her as if she were a classmate he had just met in a class reunion._

"_Thank you Kakashi," she stated with a smile. "That did help." She leaned up and kissed his hard, cold lips. When she looked into his eyes, she saw the gleam of a careless smirk._

"_Sure you did." he said, pushing her hands away. She stayed rooted as he strolled past her, slightly confused at his tone. She regained her attention and set off after him. "Look, Kakashi, I want to talk about-"_

"_Save it alright." Kakashi called from the living room. He poured himself a drink and drunk it down in half a gulp. _

_Anko came up behind him and stared hard at his back. What was his deal all of a sudden? "Kakashi," she began again, only this time, going straight to the point, "last night was…" she thought for a moment of what kind of word would fit the blurry memories of Kakashi's heartlessness. "remember able, but I don't think it should happen again, not for a while anyway."_

_The silver-haired teen slowly looked back, a sick grin on his lips. "Sore Anko?"_

_She rolled her eyes at his mockery. "That's not my point." her anger, the feeling she didn't think would surge up, slowly ate at her. "You took advantage of me Kakashi. So help me, you better have some kind of explanation-"_

"_Why else would else I go through the trouble of picking up some worthless piece of trash up? Come on bitch, take a guess!"_

"_What you did…why you helped me…I thought it was because you were in love with me!"_

_He burst into crazed laughter, his face turning a slight purple from the strain. "You actually think I__** loved **__you? Oh come on Anko! You're stupid as Hell, but even you could have seen that I wanted nothing more to do with you! Damn girl, you are a laugh!"_

_She watched in red shock as he staggered away, hooting all the way. His laughter rang away, like a crackling melody. She wanted so badly to throw the music box it was coming from._

"_Just grab you're shit and get out you slut!" _

_She remained frozen for a moment, taking in the sound of his scuffling footsteps pound into his bedroom and then the sound of the door itself slamming. She slowly turned away and took several agonizing steps to the front door, her mind a blur, and her heart sore._

_She immediately began to shake when the icy winds hit her. She had become accustomed to Kakashi's warm home, more importantly the arm he would sling around her waist whenever she fell asleep watching TV with him._

_Her heavy boots made a path in the crunchy snow, the hot tears that fell from her eyes melting the ice under her. She made a turn into an alley that existed beside Kakashi's lavish domain. The scent of the rotting dumpsters and old whisky made her feel only the slightest better. Kakashi had just made it clear that she was trash, so why not lay with it?_

_Her toe kicked something hard, and she looked down to see a bottle with a gulp left of alcohol left inside. She shrugged and bent over to pick it up with the intention of drinking it on her mind. However, when that cold glass hit her lips, a feeling filled Anko that she new instantly was drunkenness. It was irate. She hated Kakashi Hatake. She squeezed the neck of the bottle and let the anger fuel her. _

_He lied to her!_

_He fucked her without her consent!_

_He threw her out without a place in the world to go!_

_He treated her like she was some kind of bitch!_

_He made her fall for him like some kind of head-over-heals floozy._

_Damn her for being stupid enough it fall for it! But thank God she was smart enough to know how to fix it._

_She stormed into the apartment and kicked open the door to Kakashi's room. He was clad in nothing but his boxers. The boy burst from his sleep and glared at the trash before him. _

"_Didn't I tell you to get the Hell out of here?" he hissed._

_Anko responded by throwing the near empty bottle at the teen's beautiful face, the one she had fell in love with, missing it by a mere few inches._

"_You fucking bitch!" he screamed at her, to shake the dark green, smell liquid that now seeped into his clothes and skin. "God, what is this shit!"_

_Anko looked around and began to plunder through his drawls for the final object she needed to finish the job._

"_What the fuck are you doing now!"_

_Her fingers found a box of matches, the exact thing she was looking for._

_By then, Kakashi was staggering towards her. "That's it, I'm going to-what are you doing."_

_Anko struggled to get the first match lit, breaking it on first try. She tried a second one but it slipped from her grip. Finally, she created a flame and lifted her eyes to the confused Kakashi. She smirked at the utter fear on his face. "I'm about to singe your dick off, my dear boy." she stated proudly._

_Kakashi stepped back, holding his hands out in a plea. "Anko, wait! I didn't mean it!"_

_She flicked the burning stick towards him. "Sure you didn't." She turned around quickly and sprinted out the door, locking it behind her. She pressed her back against the wood and relished on the music that came in uneven yelps. She inhaled the wondrous scent of burning clothes and…flesh. It smelled finer that any cuisine. She smirked and began to leave the apartment for the last time. "So long lover boy!"_

_Outside, she swerved on the curb and slid to a stop to watch the building burst up in flames. She laughed as if she were watching the funniest movie in the world. A gust of wind picked up and spread the warmth of the fire and debris towards her. She opened her arms and embraced it, soaking it all in._

_Everything._

_Wait._

"_I just killed a man…"_

_A fucker._

_It air wasn't warm anymore._

"_I…He…It's not…I didn't…"_

_It was cold._

"_It's not my fault…"_

_Cold._

"_I swear to God…it's not my fucking fault!"_

**Cold.**

/.,.,.\\

And it was only getting colder.

It was so cold in fact that the chills eating away at Anko's goose bumped flesh brought her out of her instantly forgotten nightmare. She felt for the warm comforter that would rescue her from this icy prison, by discover it was far from her reach. She forced her dead-weight body up to recover the blanket, only to discover the entire thing was wrapped around his colossal body. She growled and pulled half of the cotton blanket off of him. Just as she was wrapped nice and comfortable, that a-hole Orochimaru ripped the blanket right off of her.

Anko shot up, glaring sleepy daggers at the man's back. "Orochimaru!" she tried to shake him awake, or at least off the blanket. "Get your ass up, you're hogging the blanket!"

The sleepy man grumbled something before burying himself into the cotton.

"Oh Hell no," Anko growled. She tugged and grunted her strength away to release the blanket from his grip. "Come on you lazy son of a-" Anko's grip on the blanket slipped, and as did she, right off the bed. "AH!"

When Anko finally re-opened her eyes, everything was blurry and smothered in fresh sunlight. She shot up, the urge to choke Orochimaru flooding her dull sense, but a shot of pain through the back of her head stopped her. She must have fallen quite heart the night before. She rubbed her arms as she stood, still cold. Orochimaru was gone, as was the blanket, and she could pick up the flowing smell of food cooking downstairs.

She stormed down those cold steps, eyeing the perfectly folded blanket in her chair, and popped Orochimaru on the back of the head. "Here's a curse for you," she hissed, "may all your bacon burn!"

He glanced around at the cranky teen, amusement mixed with dissatisfaction in his eyes. "It's a good thing we're having sausage then. Sit."

She mumbled several inappropriate words under her breath as Orochimaru served her tiny sausages and eggs, with a side of juice of course. They sat in unforgiving silence for a few moments before Orochimaru so valiantly snapped them out of it.

"Anko," Orochimaru spoke, "I have to run to work for a little while; do you think you can keep the house standing until I get back?"

"Do I look like a house-sitter to you?" she grumbled over a forkful of eggs.

Orochimaru sighed. "I don't feel safe anymore."

Anko stared at him as she drank down her orange juice. Did he really just expect her to sit at home while he went off to earn a living? Hell to the no! No matter if she was a guest here or not, she was going to prove to him that she was not some weak wretch that needed him.

"Maybe I could look for some work as well." she heard a faint chocking sound from her companion and hid her smirk.

"Um, I don't know about that."

"Oh come on," she scoffed, "What's the worse that could happen?"

Disturbing images of Konan and Nagato being burned at a stake and the city itself being burned ran across his mind, however, Anko had that strangely determined look in her eyes and he knew arguing was out of the question.

"Well, where would you start? No offense Anko, but you're experience is slightly dim." He hoped those words would discourage her some, but judging by the bright grin on her face, she was far from it.

"Bah! Who needs experience? I'll just show some leg and BLAM, paycheck city!"

Orochimaru threw his fork down and covered the humiliation on his face. "I so greatly hope we're not thinking of the same thing."

Anko chortled. "You don't know what goes on through my mind…"

"Tell me about it."

She began to stack her dishes. "Anyway, what do you think?"

Orochimaru did indeed give it thought. If she got a job, she could start a clean slate as well as learn a little responsibility. Then again, it could lead her down a whole new path of trouble. Anko was a free spirit who was already struggling against the collar he had put on her. He couldn't hold her back from anything, regrettably.

"I can let you look around when I head out, but you have to swear that you'll meet me right back here within an hour if you don't find anything."

Anko rolled her eyes. "Man, your acting like my father." she gathered the dishes quickly and rushed upstairs to change clothes. Orochimaru had barely had another sip of coffee before she returned.

"Put your tie on and let's go!" she dragged him out of his chair and out the door, eager to become an unofficial adult.

.,.,.,

After a cold trip through the city, Orochimaru dropped her off in front of a bookstore. "Stay away from bars, and I'll see you in an hour."

And tossed his helmet carelessly back to him. "Whatever!"

Orochimaru rode off, leaving Anko with a new sense of independence. She strolled through the city with a confident smile on her lips, feeling as if she could do absolutely anything.

Three days out of poverty really messed with your head!

Against Orochimaru's wishes, the first few places she tried were local bars, all of which had "Help Wanted" or "Part time help wanted" signs on the windows, not to mention perverted managers who wanted her for one thing in their establishment.

During that short hour, Anko had punched for people, broken two noses, and had no job. She felt like an utter failure as she stomped home through the crunchy snow. She knew Orochimaru wouldn't let her here the end of it, and that made her take the journey "home" even more slowly. But Orochimaru wouldn't really do that right? He was a good man, but then again, he was still a cop and could stoop to her level when she pushed him to.

Anko took another blind turn, her eyes lifting only for a moment to take in her surroundings. She then stopped when she noticed something horribly wrong: she wasn't where she was supposed to be. The once elegant buildings that used to surround her where now shabby and in need of repair. Their were people grazing around, looking as lost as she, only not as wealthy dressed. Anko scorned herself. She felt a rich snob coming in to mock the commoners. How dare she; she was just like them just three days ago!

She turned back around, hoping to find something familiar to get her on the right path. She walked into the scattered streets, feeling lost, yet calm. She had spent her best years in streets like these, and her inner GPS was already kicking in.

Still, there was a deep paranoia washing down her back as she searched. She could feel a something indirectly tracing the outline of her body, undressing her back to gaze over her well-defined back.

"Anko!"

Anko paused and looked around for the echo calling her name.

"Anko, look behind you!"

And she did, pausing mid-gasp when her eyes fell on the almost forgotten stranger, Itachi. He was smiling at her, his once pale cheeks red from the cold. Somehow though, the rest of his skin was a bluish color. He was so destroyed, and she knew it was all her fault.

She approached him quickly, worried that if she didn't hurried that it would risk her loosing site of the boy who took her pain away only once that faithful night. He began to move as well and Anko saw that he was limping which almost broke her heart.

He met her halfway, almost believing that she wasn't real. They could only stare at each other, neither knowing how to bring up a proper greeting, let alone an apology.

"I'm-" they both began. They shared a gentle chuckle before Itachi insister that she go first.

She took in a deep breath and tried to let out an apology for the misery she put him through. "I'm-" a loud crash cut her off. She and Itachi shot around to see that a truck had crashed into a light pole, causing the unfortunate to flip on it's side. Neither part was too disturbed, immune to most fear during their years on the street.

Itachi did however took her living hand in his dead one and led her away from the destruction. "Let's go." he whispered.

Anko followed him to the home they had occupied before the police came and dragged them all away. Anko felt that old hate begin to stir, but kept it down just a little longer. There was a pile of yellow tape in shreds in the corner of the creaky porch; law didn't mean shit to them.

She stepped inside, and the room was maybe ten degrees warmer than outside.

"Hurry up you're letting all the heat out!"

Itachi slammed the door shut, locking in the warmth. "Sorry, but it takes a minute to get indoors when you can barely walk."

Anko crept closer to the fire as Itachi and the unknown stranger continued to argue. She reached the hearth and discover the very familiar Deidara lounged out in front of the fire, his long blond hair creating a personal fire as he shot up to stare at her in disbelief.

"What the Hell is she doing here?" He cried out.

Itachi stepped into Anko's defense. "She's my guest."

Deidara shot up, sloppily dressing his hair in a ponytail. "She's a jinx man! Look what we just went through!"

"That was not her fault."

He stepped closer in an attempt to get in Itachi's face. "Well it sure as Hell wasn't mine." his eyes lifted to meet Anko's. He hated her with every fiber in his miserable being. She had took the one thing in the world that mattered to him at all, and even if he got it back, she would breath her last breath just for taking it. He grinned, relishing on the idea. "Let me know when the bitch leaves."

Anko's eyes widened and on pure impulse, shot around Itachi's broad shoulder and slapped Deidara square in the face. Itachi pushed her back, hissing a warning to her.

"You…little fuck!" Deidara seethed before trying as well to break down the barrier that was Itachi to get to the woman who dared to assault him. However, Deidara was still weak from his injury and was outmatched by Anko who instantly pinned her into a wall, her porcelain face to his bruised one. His hands shot up to clash her neck but Itachi grabbed Anko and threw her several feet away to disband their tussle.

Deidara was then pinned by Itachi by he did not relent to the struggle. "Try it!" he screamed at him. "You just try to touch me again!" Without any warning, Anko disappeared and Deidara's vision turned ice white as his head hit the floor. His breathing halted momentarily when Itachi crawled on top of him, holding him down. He had the most threatening gaze in his eyes Deidara had ever seen.

"If you ever go near her again," the broken Uchiha hissed with a tightening grip, "So help me God Deidara, I will kill you."

Deidara stared at the boy above him, his best friend. He allowed his body to slump back. "All this…for her?"

Itachi's eyes widened and he pulled back slowly. Blood coated his hands, and ever so slowly, he forgot how it came to be. Why was he fighting Deidara? He was his best, no, his only friend. Anko was…an acquaintance. Where was the justice in that? He looked into his swerving friend for answers, but only received a gritty smirk of someone who was winning.

"Tell me buddy," The tired blond whispered from his place under the Uchiha; his slick fingers lifted to run over Itachi's jaw, causing him to shudder. **"Is she worth it?"**

The sound of a slamming door broke Itachi from Deidara's spell. He shot around to see the spiky hair exiting his domain.

_She's…she's leaving me!_

"Anko wait!" Itachi stumbled upwards, leaving Deidara to bleed. He felt something tug at his pants but quickly snatched away in order to reach his target.

Deidara crawled for Itachi, by received nothing in return for his struggles but empty air. Damn him! Damn Anko! Damn everyone. "Anko you little bitch…AH!"

"Anko!" Itachi screamed as he avoided slipping on a pile of slipper leaves. Anko was several yards in the distant, her spiky ponytail jumping with each step she took. Somehow though, he managed to catch up to her, almost busting a lung in the process. "Anko…" he panted, practically falling over, "please…listen…to…"

Anko shot around, her face red with irritation. "What?"

He paused for a moment to catch his breath before laying out his interrogation. "Why are you leaving?"

Anko shrugged, turning so that he could see her face. "I…got…bored after you stopped punching blondie in the face." she grinded her heel into the ground.

Itachi smiled at her tough-girl demeanor, however, after so many years of dealing with it from Ino, he could see right through it. Anko was strong, no question about that, but inside, she was a little girl curled up in a ball of pain and torture.

"Well, sorry that I have to catch my breath every now and again." he stepped up beside her and noticed the slight smirk on her precious lips. "Please, come back with me. Deidara will leave you alone."

She sighed, "Sorry, but I have to go suffer the humiliation of being a homeless bum."

"Huh?"

"I told the man I was staying with that I could find a job in this pathetic city, but of course, no such luck." she turned to Itachi, expecting to see understandment, humor, and a gentle smile.

He looked absolutely horrified.

"You're…with…a man…I-I thought…" How could he have been so **stupid**! Of course she was with someone! Why in the Hell would she wait for him! Oh…Hell this was bad!

Anko noticed the distress running in his eyes and grasped one of his shoulders, feeling him jump. "Hey, you okay?"

Itachi cleared his throat in a sort of professional manner and pulled away from her addictive touch. "Yes, I'm sorry I kept you from your…boyfriend…for so long. I'll just let you be on your way."

Anko, much to him hormonal surprise, put her arms around his neck and hugged him close, her chest vibrating with laughter. "If that cocky little SOB were by boyfriend, I'd be cheating on him with you in a heartbeat."

A grin spread over Itachi's pale lips. She liked him! Wait until he told Deidara! Wait, not the best idea, but when the time was right, he would make his love for Anko visible to the entire world.

Anko, noticing his love-struck expression, placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around, taking in his firewood scent as she gave him a simple peck on the lips. She pressed against his shoulder and whispered softly: "I gave up on love babe, but I'll screw you any day."

He watched her sway away. "Wait, when will I see you again?"

She shrugged, "We'll find a way."

As soon as she disappeared, he began to ran home, screaming and cheering all the way. Little did the young Uchiha know however that there was a pair of deep blue eyes watching them, hating the female more that anything else this world had to offer.

.,.,.,.

Konan Amegakure's head snapped up when the door to the lobby burst open and a shivering, fairly irritated young lady stormed in. Still, she greeted her with a gentle smile, as she did anyone else who walked through the doors.

"Good evening Miss Anko."

Anko threw her hand up in a greeting, turning to the stairs.

"Oh!" Konan called after her. "Don't go up there just yet." Anko stopped to turn to her. "Orochimaru was very upset when he came through here." she smiled softly. "You should probably give him some time to calm down."

"What was he upset about?" Anko asked, although, she could had a basic idea. Konan wouldn't look at her, so she sighed and sat down on one of the glossy benches surrounding the lobby.

The blue-haired woman took pity on the young girl blowing warm air into her clutched hands and laid the paper work aside to deal with for later. "Miss Anko, would you care to come inside for some hot tea?"

Anko stared at the woman. She had to be in her thirties, or late twenties one. She was very beautiful, no matter what age she was. But her golden eyes held a depressive emotion that was weighing down her delightful spirit.

"Are you sure? I don't want to cause you any problems."

"Dear, it's no problem at all with preparing a snack for a friend."

Anko stood and nodded in agreement to the woman's offer. Something hot seemed delightful at this point. Besides, what was wrong with making a new friend?

The kitchen of Konan's apartment made Anko feel so at ease. The walls were a dark brown color, with collections of all sorts hanging from the walls and ceiling. One could stare at one spot for hours and not see everything.

"Nice place!" Anko exclaimed.

Konan laughed softly and placed a tray of tea and cookies in the middle of the table. "I hate to say it, but I'm somewhat of a shopoholic. But everything has it's place, and it keeps Nagato off my back." she handed Anko a green cup and a plate of cookies.

"Speaking of which, where is sleep eyes?" Anko inquired, taking a bite of the chocolate chip circle which instantly melted in her mouth.

"In the bedroom, sleeping of the kemo." Konan stated, trying to keep the anxiety under her voice, but was unable to do so thanks to Anko's sharp senses.

"You're very strong, and so is he." She commented.

Konan smiled. "He is, but…" she took a long sip of her tea, not wanting to speak of it anymore.

Anko came to the rescue once more and switched the conversation to something more of her concerns. "So, what's the deal with Orochimaru?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's a mystery. I mean, the guy just jumped up to help me. Is he an ex-pedophile or bacon murder?"

"That's what _families _do." Konan said, smiling slyly at Anko.

"Oh," Anko laughed with an embarrassed grin. "I'm…not really his niece."

"They never are." Konan chuckled. "Still, I find it amazing that he actually found himself a girlfriend. I was starting to think he was going to be single the rest of his life." She looked up, expecting to see a blush or a shy smile, but instead met an appearance of sheer heartbreak. "What is it?"

Anko placed her clutched her warm cup tightly, her mind spinning with the images of all the men who had been, and currently were, in her life. What did the man who had taken her in mean to her? She couldn't love him, not after all the Hell she had gone through with Kakashi. And Itachi…oh that poor fool. At least they had common ground, but their was still no spark in their relationship.

"I'm so confused Konan." Anko whispered, her skin suddenly becoming so hot that her head began to pound. Konan's soothing hand reached out for hers.

"Tell me."

"I can't, because I don't know exactly. I like Orochimaru, I really do, even though he does act like an ass sometimes. But…" her eyes began to water, and she did whatever she could to stop herself from breaking down in front of his stranger.

"But you've been through so much that you're sure that he'll treat you the way everyone else has?"

Anko stared at her in awe. She seemed to understand her so much, as if she had lived everything Anko had.

Konan smiled. "Nagato and I have known Orochimaru our entire lives. We were sixteen when this fiery ten year old ran up to us and stole Nagato's wallet." she laughed softly. "I swear, he chased that kid all halfway across town, and he still didn't catch him."

Anko perked up with interest. "So what happened? How'd you guys meet up again?"

"That," a harsh, deep voice spoke from the far end of the room stated. "Is none of your business." Nagato stepped into the room, his sickly skin seeming even paler against the black sweats he wore. He took a seat and poured himself a cup of the tea, relishing the hot liquid as if there weren't two woman in front of him that needed answers.

"Nagato…" Konan whispered.

"It's none of her concern Konan," Nagato spoke with authority, "And you should be ashamed of yourself for bringing it up in front of someone who probably isn't going to be in his life much longer."

"Screw you." Anko hissed against her will. She and Nagato entered a glaring contest, each despising each other.

"Enough!" Konan shouted, her voice becoming higher than it had in a long time. She turned a glare on her husband who seemed a bit surprised of her outburst. "Whether you like it or not, Anko is in our lives and she deserves to know what Orochimaru won't tell her." It was her turn to get in Nagato's face. "And if you have the slightest problem with that, then grab your oxygen tank and find yourself a hotel room to sleep in."

Nagato stared at his fuming wife in silence before quietly retreating to his room, reminding himself that this was the woman he had fallen in love with.

As soon as he was gone, Konan ushered the numb Anko back into her seat. "My apologies; neither of us are usually like that."

"Actually, I found it quite sexy." Anko stated with a grin. She immediately caught herself though when a voice screamed to her that Konan **was married **thus not completely **stupid** and **bi **like she was. She cleared her throat, trying to cool the blush on her face. "Go on."

Konan straightened her demeanor and began to tell one of the most frightening stories Anko would ever hear.

"After the wallet incident, we didn't see Orochimaru again until a month later." she gripped her teacup, forcing the words from her memories. "Nagato and I were on a date, something that wasn't too unusual for a Saturday night. We were heading to our favorite restaurant, but as we took a curve, a whole mass of police cars swerved in front of us. Back then, Nagato couldn't resist a good brawl, so we were speeding after them in less then a second. We wound up in front of an apartment, if you could call it that. It was barely a shack. Anyway, the police were all over it. I think we were there for about an hour before-"

There was a series of knocks from the bedroom, the only way Nagato could prevent his wife from unveiling the truth of their comrade.

"The police drug out him and two other boys. Apparently they were the victims of a human trafficking system that had reached our area.

"_Damn it Konan!"_

Anko fell numbness all over her body. Orochimaru was trafficked? "Damn," she muttered. "I thought my childhood was shit."

"It gets worse." Konan stated sadly. "It turns out that Orochimaru's parents had sold him into it. The police never found them."

"Not surprising." Anko muttered bitterly.

"Orochimaru and the two other boys, Sasori and…oh dear what is his name? Nagato, do you remember the name of that other boy?"

"_I'm not talking to you! But I thing it was Jiram or something like that!"_

Anko felt a burst of turmoil swerve through her. "Jiraiya…" she whispered.

"Are you alright Anko?" Konan inquired when Anko suddenly became very pale.

Anko cleared her throat. "Um yes…so what happened?"

"Right, the became wards of the state. Until Orochimaru was eighteen, he was in the Police Chief's custody." she shuddered slightly. "Only God knows what else he went through during those seven years. He became a cop, of course, a was on the front lines as soon as he became a legal adult. By faith, he came to us, asking for an apartment. We knew who he was instantly, but he never placed us. Over the last couple of years, things have been rocky, but the three of us have a very stable relationship."

Anko stared down at the empty cup in her hands. All this time, she had been putting her hate and anger on the wrong person. The police were her enemy, but Orochimaru, and even Jiraiya, were not. They were victims like her who had been Cruelty's little playthings. She had been so cruel to Orochimaru when all he wanted to do was heal her.

She stood and rushed to the door. "Thank you Konan, for everything. I'm sure Orochimaru's calm enough to not want to wring my neck now. See you tomorrow!"

"Anko," Konan called after her, causing the teen to pause. "Orochimaru doesn't tell us everything, but most of the time we can already tell what he's thinking. He likes you, a lot."

Anko allowed those words to sink in as she left the couple's apartment to travel to her own.

Konan cleaned up the mess and quietly resided to her bedroom where Nagato was seated in his reading chair, not reading however, just staring.

"Hey," she greeted gently, closing the door behind her. She walked up to him and gently sat on his knee, slowly earning his attention. "You're not mad at me are you?"

Nagato wiggled a bit to get Konan in a more correct position. "Betrayed is more closer to the word that I was looking for, my dear blabber mouth."

Konan nestled her head against his shoulder. "You know I'm right though. She deserved to know why Orochimaru is such a damn weirdo."

"Orochimaru likes this girl, he would have told her eventually."

She sighed and lifted her head to give her husband a warm gentle kiss. "I'm sorry, I just…"

Nagato cut her off by continuing the kiss. He knew where she was going. She missed the man he use to be before the bone marrow cancer did it's worse on his feeble body two years ago. She deserved so much better than a dying man, yet for some reason came home to him every night.

Despite how wobbly his limbs were from the earlier kemo treatment, he wrapped his arms around his beautiful wife and stood. Konan gasped his name, but he ignored her whimper of concern and placed her as gently as he could on the soft bed. He met her wide eyes and smiled.

"I'm not dead yet love."

The fear faded from her eyes as he lifted up the cotton dress she wore. "Do you know what this reminds me of?" she whispered as he kissed the soft valley of her neck.

He grunted a no and traveled up to her jaw.

"Our wedding night."

Nagato stopped and looked at her once more, his ridged heart swelling with pride. "I'm just too lucky Konan. I love you so much."

She repeated his statement and worked on pulling his sweats off. She always thought that **she **was the lucky one.

.,..,.,

"Hey." she greeted.

Orochimaru slammed the door he was reading close. "Tell me Anko, how much time is one hour in your mind?"

She chuckled. "I'm sorry, I got…distracted."

He rolled his eyes and stood. "Did you find anything?"

"Any…what?"

"A job, Anko! The thing you were gone all day trying to find!"

"Oh!" Anko exclaimed, having completely forgotten about her earlier mission. "I didn't find anything that really jumped out and shouted "ANKO!""

Orochimaru kept his grim demeanor as he stalked up the stairs. "Well, I hope **whoever **jumped out and grabbed you gave you a good night."

The gushiness Anko was feeling quickly changed into anger. "You asshole! Stay right there!"

Orochimaru stopped on top of the stairs and watched as Anko stormed up to him. "What?" Not much to his surprise, she popped him on the side of the head.

"I wasn't with anyone, not in that way anyway! I just met an old friend and got caught up in some unmentionables."

Her story was believable, but he was still greatly angry that she hadn't kept her end of the bargain. "Just be back when I ask you to, okay." he gulped. "You had me worried."

Anko smiled lightly at his tiny confession and leant up to kiss his cheek. "I'm a big girl, I can handle myself." She made her way to the bedroom they were now sharing and was abruptly pulled back. Before she could question, her lips were hotly taken over by Orochimaru's. Every nerve from her eyes down exploded and she became a paralyzed doll in his strong hands.

He pulled back quickly, shocked at his own action. He and Anko had the same facial expressions and scars on their lips. She had tasted amazing.

"Um…" he muttered.

"You need practice…" Anko also muttered, dazed.

He grinned at her. "Not exactly the expert yourself love."

She punched him as hard as her feminine strength could muster. "Shut up and get your ass in that bed before you find yourself sleeping in a box!"

Orochimaru obeyed with the slyest grin on his face. "You…want to practice."

Anko tapped his nose with the tip of her finger. "Not tonight, I need to sleep to recover from your awful kissing."

"Same here." he joked with a yawn. His sarcasm was rewarded with another sharp punch in the arm.

"What, you can insult me but I can't do so to you?"

"Exactly!"

.,.,.,.

Itachi was frozen in a wonderful bliss for the rest of the day. He was so lost in fact he did not notice the way Deidara sulked around the house.

"She's amazing, isn't she?" Itachi said when he finally acknowledged his friend.

Deidara stared out of his bedroom window but saw nothing. His vision was clouded with the emotions that suddenly sprang up from his subconscious. "Yeah," the angry blond hissed, "absolutely fucking fantastic." he slammed down the window and moved to the exit, Itachi's questions stalling him.

"What's your deal?"

Deidara slowly turned to him, the bruise on his cheek bulging.

Itachi sighed and sat up. "All right, I'm sorry I took her side over yours," the small smiled remained, "but you should know better than to pick a fight with a girl who could so easily beat your ass."

Deidara approached him, jumping on the end on the bed. "I could kill her if I wanted to."

Itachi's defensive nature rose. "You should keep those kind of thoughts deep inside your head Deidara."

Deidara hissed, his hands flying up in frustration. "What do you see in that girl! She brought us nothing but disaster the moment she tripped over me!" Deidara smirked at the other statement floating around in his head. "God knows who's she's been with between you and the creep she's with right now."

In a flash, Itachi was in his face. "If you say one more thing about her, so help me God Deidara-" Itachi's words were poured into the mouth that suddenly engulfed his. Deidara pulled him on top of his body, holding his face against his as he raped his mouth. When the shock wore off, Itachi pulled back ever so slightly and bit down so hard on Deidara's lips that blood squirted into both of their mouths. He shot up, gaping at the alluring blond who had blood pouring from his mouth.

"What the fuck!" he screamed at him.

Deidara shrugged. "You wanted me to shut up right? Well I just helped us both." He smirked, the look in his eyes absolutely sinister.

Itachi wiped his mouth. "I'm out of here."

Deidara licked his lips of the crusted blood and allowed the sweet and spicy liquid to live in his cave a moment longer. "Mmm…" he groaned wickedly, "I think I'm in love."

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

_Hesh Yeah! January 19 was my and Gaara's birthday! Go us! (talk about late right!)_

_I don't know if any of you have seen my Itachi X Deidara series on my Photobucket account, but it somehow relates to this pairing in this story (just pretend Rose Thomas is Anko). Just let me know what you think._

_ONWARD TO "Martyrs"!_

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Anko told Orochimaru her darkest secret and trusted him to keep it. Somehow though, the dark deed reaches the ears of the authorities and Anko must either choose to run again, or run up and face the consequences.**_

_**No matter what happens, she will not forgive Orochimaru for his betrayal.**_


	8. I Hate You pt1

_I Hate You_

_Everything About You_

_Don't Want To Be In Love With You No More_

_Don't Want To Be Around You_

_Touch You_

_Fuck You_

_Don't Want Ever See You Come Around My Door_

_Don't Ever Try To Touch Me Again_

_I Loved You So Much Oh Baby_

_But Then Oh…_

.,.,.,

Orochimaru sighed as his work day lulled on. He had used up his vacation days and was forced to leave the girl he was having such a good time with in order to return to a job he absolutely despised. Thankfully though, it was near lunch time and he could steal away a few minutes to phone her and hear her voice. She had promised to stick to the barriers that they had laid out earlier that morning so his worry was decreased by seventy percent.

He eyed the clock anxiously. In five minutes that bell would sound and he would be free for twenty peace-filled minutes.

Four minutes, fifty-nine seconds to go.

Almost there. Not too much-

"Hey buddy!"

Orochimaru restrained the urge to grab his gun and blow Jiraiya's head off. "Don't do that!" he gasped.

Jiraiya laughed hardily, slapping Orochimaru's shoulder repeatedly. "Oh come one, you love a good scare."

He peeled Jiraiya's arm off his shoulder. He just wanted to make that blasted phone call! "Can this wait? I have something very important to do?"

"This close to break time? Oh, I see," he laughed, giving his friend a suggestive look. "You're meeting up with some girl, aren't you?"

Orochimaru smirked slightly at the irony of the situation, the sweet, sweet, Irony. "Yes."

Jiraiya shouted with glee. "I knew it! I knew you'd find someone!" he pulled his friend close, refusing to let him go until he had every detail on Orochimaru's mysterious woman. "How old is she? Is she hot?"

"She's old enough to date, too young to drink, and…" Is Anko hot? No, Hot was a term to describe a flirtatious wretch; Anko was far above that. "She is very attractive."

Jiraiya howled again, adding another painful slap to Orochimaru back. "Great! Does she have a twin sister?"

Orochimaru frowned slightly. "She has no one."

Jiraiya copied Orochimaru's frown and pulled away with a dull sense of disgust. "You're not talking about who I think you are, are you?"

Orochimaru smirked naughtily. "You catch on quickly, friend."

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "And you screw up quickly, **friend**."

Orochimaru was ready to retaliate, but the break bell rang and all his thoughts went back to the girl racking his head. He spend past Jiraiya to get to the payphones, the man scorning him following closely in step.

"You're playing with fire."

"Tell me about it," Orochimaru chuckled as he searched for a quarter, "she has a temper like a poisonous snake."

"You know what I mean!" Jiraiya hissed, snatching the phone from Orochimaru's grip and slamming it down.

Orochimaru gave his rage a moment to die down. "You owe me twenty-five cents."

"Put it on my tab. Look, I think what you're doing for this girl is great, but a relationship like this won't last."

Orochimaru did everything he could except slam his head into the wall to block Jiraiya out.

"I really think you should convince her to go with Hiruzen."

"No way in Hell!" Orochimaru hissed. "You know what will happen to her."

Jiraiya paused for moment to wield the dark memories away. "You know he doesn't do that anymore."

"Eight years is along time." Orochimaru stated absently. He switched his train of thought back to Anko. "We're not even in a relationship, not that kind anyway, you perverted monster."

Jiraiya smirked, both from relief and the joke they and the entire office shared. "I just don't want either one of you to get hurt."

Orochimaru leaned against the pay phone, thinking about Anko. "I'm invincible Jiraiya. I can't feel love or heartbreak or any of that other crap…and neither can she. That's why we make such an excellent team."

Jiraiya was now deeply interested. "Ouch, who went off and broke her heart?"

Orochimaru grimaced at the very thought at the stranger who dare hurt the amazing Anko. "Some unfortunate idiot who is a waste of blood and life. The world would be so much better if scum like him were sucked up and spat out on the darkest, shittiest hole in the universe. He should-"

"Okay!" Jiraiya laughed. "I get it, you hate this guy's guts! What's his name,? Maybe we could prank call him sometime so that you can tell him exactly what you think of him."

Orochimaru rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered if Jiraiya ever got past age fourteen. "Kakashi something or other. His name gives me heartburn."

The name had an effect on Jiraiya as well, but it was more of a mental one. He had heard it somewhere, but it was in the back off the filing cabinet in his subconscious. "Kakashi? You sure you don't know a last name?"

"No I-" the break bell went off again, and Orochimaru's fury reignited. "Damn it Jiraiya!"

"Whoops!" Jiraiya laughed. "Sorry about that!"

Orochimaru punched him one last time before sulking back to his desk where he would have to spend the next six hours.

Jiraiya waited until his comrade was out of sight before creeping over to the payphone and punching in the forbidden numbers. "Yes, this is Jiraiya. Yes, I know, thank you. Hello? Criminal records please. Pull up anything you can from the past five to eight years on a _Kakashi_."

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

The black clothing Anko was trying on slipped easily down her trimmed figure. It was one Konan wanted her to try on and was slightly loose, but a sash would fix that problem. However, nothing would fix the current problem.

Konan had insister that she and Orochimaru went out with her and her husband tonight.

"You look great!" Konan cheered in a sister-like way as she soothed the dress over Anko's body.

Anko frowned at her extravagant appearance. "I still think jeans would work better on me."

"It's a formal dinner Anko." Konan laughed. "We wouldn't even make it through the front door if you went up in there wearing something like that."

"I love to-go plates." Anko muttered. She admired herself once more with a frown. Why had she and Orochimaru agreed to on this little façade with their landlords? They had dinner every night together, and half the time they were in their pajamas! Maybe Konan and Nagato were setting them up for something? Was it something she wanted?

"This is going to be fun." Konan reassured. "Now I have to go downstairs and get ready myself. Do not try to ruin or set my dress on fire."

"No promises." As soon as the door slammed, Anko pulled off the dress and tossed on a chair, flopping back on the bed.

_His bed._

She had stopped staying in his room four days prior. She knew she was becoming too comfortable with him and had to put a stop to it. It sucked, but it had to be done. If she became too attached, she'd never be able to leave him when the time came. She grabbed one of his pillows and held it close. She was able to catch a whiff of his scent as she sighed and she smiled.

A knock signaled that she was no longer alone in her thoughts. Thinking it was Konan, she jumped up and yanked the dress over her head and soothed it out quickly. "It's open!"

Much to her surprise, Orochimaru entered.

"Wow," he chortled, "You clean up nicely."

Anko scoffed, fighting the blush. "I wish I could say the same for you." she stated as she gawked at his half-dressed, half-drenched form.

"Believe it or not, I'm not a suit and tie kind of guy." Orochimaru joked as he searched through his closet for something halfway appropriate for the occasion.

Anko flopped back onto his bed and watched him. "Really? You mean you big-time cops don't go out to three thousand dinners on the weekends?"

"If they do, I'm never invited."

Anko stared at him.

"I'm not as close to my comrades as you may think, Anko."

She looked away from him, her mind swirling. "I guess that means you don't get the latest updates on how to be an asshole cop, huh?"

He chuckled. "Are you ever going to stop hating me?"

She shrugged. "Probably not." she looked at him and their eyes met. They were sharing that bond again, the one they had developed during the last couple of weeks. Deep down, she knew she could tell him anything and feel comfortable about it. Yet, there was that paper-thin wall between them that she couldn't break down, and in a way, didn't want to break down.

Orochimaru looked back down as he realized that he was missing the button holes of his shirt. He hissed and turned away from the beautiful women on his bed.

Anko laughed. "Are you seriously thinking about wearing that?"

Orochimaru looked down at the black silk shirt. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's femimine."

He scoffed. "It's a dress shirt-"

"For a woman."

He rolled his eyes. "All right, what do you suggest."

Anko jumped up and met him at the closet. "Arms apart!"

He obliged, smirking at her as she undid his crooked trail of buttons. He took her nimble fingers to his lips when she reached the last one, and kissed her knuckles. He chuckled at her shocked stare. "Sorry, I just don't want to be dressed like some doll."

Her glare simmered and she smirked. "Strange, you don't seem to mind me _undressing _you in the slightest."

He leant down, meeting her face. "That leaves little to my imagination."

She bit her lip in a tempting manner. "Mr. Orochimaru, are you trying to seduce me."

"You started it…"

"Alright Anko," came Konan's chirpy voice as the door opened suddenly. She was dressed in modest gown that was slightly darker than her hair and struggling to get a pair of earrings. "Let's get-" she froze and stared as Anko threw a shirtless Orochimaru away from her person. She scoffed. "Whoa, don't mind me in the least."

"It is not what you think." Anko growled balefully. She glared at Orochimaru, hating him for pulling them into such a dilemma. "I was just giving moron here a few tips in fashion, but then again, why should I care if he leaves here looking like crap?" she stormed pass Konan to leave the room as quickly as possible.

"Chill Anko!" Konan called after her, shaking her head as Anko pounded down the stairs.

"She's telling the truth; we weren't up to anything." Orochimaru defended, quenching the hurt Anko had thrown at him.

"Sure." Konan teased as she tossed the white shirt Anko had chosen for him earlier, "Now finish up. Nagato has reservations for us at eight and will kill a bull if we're late."

"Yes ma'am," Orochimaru waved her off, his mind still numb from his seductive encounter with Anko.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

"Move!"

Anko flinched as Nagato continuously honked the horn at the file of cars in front of them. She looked at Konan who smiled as politely as her irate would allow. "He has a hint of road rage in him."

"Couldn't tell."

Orochimaru cracked the window slightly. "Perhaps we can go inside to make sure we still have our reservations while you and Konan find a place to park?"

Nagato look at him and then at his wife who gave a wary nod of approval. "Get going then."

Anko and Orochimaru jumped out of the car, scurrying across the street as quickly as they could before Nagato could change his mind.

"Smart thinking." Anko commented as she and Orochimaru hurried into the fancy restaurant.

"I do plenty of it." he stated with a wink.

After fighting for their table, the two took their seats in a not so exclusive table. Anko looked around at all the fancy people, feeling like a dirty rag among their gold and silver.

"You're the most beautiful out of anyone in there." Orochimaru spoke to reassure her. Anko merely shrugged at his comment but smiled behind the menu.

"Excuse me sir," a man dressed in a tux inquired, "Would you and your girlfriend care to order now?"

"I am not his girlfriend!" Anko exclaimed as she threw the menu down.

Orochimaru rubbed his temple. "We'll just order champagne for now." He glared at her when the waiter left.

She ignored his stare and played with her silverware.

"Do you have to yell at everyone? Orochimaru groaned

"I'm saving you from getting a big head, so yeah." The chair beside her was pulled back so she looked up to see Konan taking a seat. She gave her one of those "don't even ask" looks as she and her husband angrily grabbed a menu and looked through. Anko had to smile; she wasn't the only one on edge.

They ordered their food, and despite how Nagato was paying, Anko ordered the cheapest thing she could find. Even she wasn't going to take advantage of a cancer-ridden a-hole.

"So," Konan whispered to Anko while the men were in the middle of a conversation, "how's the job situation going?"

Anko bitterly drank down her fourth glass of champagne. "It sucks." she muttered. "Everyone wants a resume or a good fuck."

"Anko, manners please!"

Anko waved Konan off, suddenly fixating on the orchestra playing a lively tune. Scratch that, a haunting tune…

/.,.,.,.,./.,.,.,.,./.,.,.,.,./.,.,.,.,./

_Anko's father often played the radio at eleven. It was a signal that the six year old had one more hour of freedom before her mother came home from her nightshift and put her family to bed. It was also when Anko's favorite songs would come on and she and her father would share a dance._

_Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" burst through the static speakers, and Anko's father came to life with it. He grabbed the broom from the corner and began to lip sing through it, snapping his fingers at his daughter as she laughed and danced around clumsily. He however thought she danced like an angel. He threw the broom down and lifted the shrieking child up in the air and spun her around, shouting the lyrics in the air and his daughter shrieked with joy loud enough to wake the entire south side of Konoha._

_The door slammed, ripping both daughter and father from their musical freedom. Anko's mother stood there, starch nursing uniform wrinkled due to the large bags in her arms. _

"_What in blazes name is going on Kenai!" she exclaimed. _

"_Welcome home darling!" Kenai cheered with a wobbly bow._

"_It's almost midnight; Anko was suppose to be in bed hours ago!"_

"_Oh now Renga, Anko's an early riser, she won't-"_

"_I ask you to do one thing!" Renga went on as she threw the groceries down._

_Anko clung to her father's leg. She was fearful of her mother's fire-like temper even if it was rarely aimed towards her._

_But as always, Mr. Kenai Mitarashi knew how to quench her flames. "I was just teaching the child a few moves!" he turned the radio up as "I Love Rock n' Roll" began playing, grooving his way to his wife who stood hard and unfazed by his dimwitted actions. After a moment however she had to cover her mouth to hid the grins she was fighting off._

"_Well she certainly isn't going to learn a thing from you." she spoke. In a swift moment, her rugged sweater was off and she was dancing her way into the middle of the room, her husband whistling and cheering her on as he grabbed Anko into his lap. She danced like the angel Anko wanted to be, slyly and fluently. Suddenly, she was lifted into the air by Kenai and screamed in pleasure as she was spun around to the last line, "…so come an' take your time an' dance with me!"_

_The song ended and Anko and her father begged for an encore. Renga shrugged and tied her sweater around her waist. "Sorry folks, once is enough, now," she bent down and gave Anko a kiss on the forehead, "it's time for some sport-models to get some shut eyes. Goodnight sweetheart."_

_Anko gave her mother a hug, proud of her for that night's show. Renga wasn't the lively one, and actually having fun was a rare treat on her part, but she had given life a chance. She hugged her father, whispering her love in his ear as she trotted off to her room. She took one last look at her parents and saw that her mother had on that "you have Hell to pay look" before she shut the door._

.,.,.,.,.,.

Anko gasped and covered her mouth, suddenly feeling sick.

"Anko?"

She looked up and saw three worried faces focused on her, one that turned horrified upon seeing the tears on her cheeks. "Are you alright?" Orochimaru inquired, reaching out and caressing her hand. Anko shot right out of her seat, glaring at him with hatred.

"Don't you fucking touch me! Don't ever touch me!" she turned around and ran, knocking a few people down and out of her way as she fled from the restaurant. She could hear Konan's voice calling after her but she blocked it out as best as she could. Who was she kidding? She, a screwed-up street urchin, didn't belong with these people. They had true happiness and memories of love and warmth while she had memories of hatred and the coldness of a police car. She was an outcast, and she would not be some pity case.

She wound up on the roof, which was lit up but empty due to the icy winds. She stared down at the city, panting and crying as memories of her silly but devoted father and strict by loving mother plus several other people flashed through her mind. She should have stayed on the streets. She should have let those cops beat the Hell out of Itachi and Deidara. She should have died a long time ago.

The door to the roof burst open.

Anko was ready to start screaming if Konan tried to comfort her. She was a good person, but Anko knew that she was probably just a charity case to her.

However, it was Orochimaru's voice that called out her name in a gentle melody.

"What's wrong?"

"Like you care!" Anko scoffed.

Orochimaru rubbed his eyes. "I care Anko, and I'd like to know what's running through your head. I want to help you Anko, but you keep pushing me away-"

"Isn't that okay with you?" she mocked.

He stood unmoving.

She shrugged. "Big strong copper like you? You can take it, so don't act like you've gotten your feelings hurt."

He stepped forward, but she turned away. "Just go. I'll walk back, don't tell them to wait up on me."

His fingers twitched and his neck pop as he craned it. "You sure?"

"Duh."

He turned and walked stolidly away, irritation consuming him. He gripped the cold door knob and felt the last straw break. He shot back around and grabbed one of the tables before tossing it across the roof, gaining Anko's attention. "Damn it woman stop being so damn selfish!"

She glared at him but was rather intrigued that he was standing up to her.

"I swore I would help you," he instructed as he made his way to her again, "but damn it I will not be your punching bag!"

"Well you're not good for much else!" Anko fought back. It was a cold blow, but it was the only one she had.

Orochimaru gripped and pulled at his hair. "Why are you so damn difficult?"

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm stuck with you!"

"Oh really? Well if you hate being with me so much, why don't you go?" he shouted.

"I will!" she screamed back, stretching her point by stalking to the door. "I don't need your fucking help anyway!"

"Now that, is a lie." Orochimaru spoke with sharp slyness, causing Anko to look back. "It's not that you don't want my help darling, it's that you don't know how to except it."

"I don't **need** it!"

"I seriously beg to differ Anko."

"I've survived half my life without your kind of luxuries, I can survive the rest."

He stared at her, finally catching on. "Are you seriously thinking about leaving?"

She shrugged, drumming her nails on the concrete. "Like a said, I don't belong here."

He ran a hand through his tied hair. He as well had his issues with expressing his emotions, even to her. He smiled then. "Your right, you don't belong here."

Anko gave him her famous "fuck off" look.

He advanced forward, a sly smile on his lips. "You don't need what I've given you, in fact you despise it. Yet," he waged a finger at her, "you like me."

"What?!"

"Admit it!"

"I **hate** you!" Anko defended, a scarlet blush eater at her cheeks. "You're an arrogant, sick, snake-obsessed bastard and I can't stand your ego, or how you act like you know everything, or the way you ruffle my hair every time you come home when you know I'm mad as Hell…or the way you use to put your arm around me whenever I can't sleep, even though you know it makes me cringe…or…" she looked away. She hadn't realized how those thing that seemed so simple had actually meant so much to her. Just him being there had filled the emptiness where her sense of trust was suppose to be. He was making her whole, no matter how far she pushed her away.

He cupped the side of her, bringing her from her daze with a gasp. "Have I proven my worth yet?"

She thought of that question. He had adopted her, counseled, and saved her life. He had proven that she could count on him, and in a literal sense, trust him.

But could she love him? She was interested in him to say the least, and he didn't exactly try to hide his curiosity either. He had touched her in ways acquaintances didn't touch each other, but she had come back down twice as hard.

"You've proven to be a complete bastard." she stated with a smile. "But, I think if you were completely different, I wouldn't…" she twisted her hands in her dress, chocking out her words, "want to be with you…as much."

He chortled at her blush. "And if you weren't as hot-headed and cruel as you are, I wouldn't want anything to do with you."

She punched him in the arm, laughing at him quip. "Smart ass."

He took hold of the abusive fist, holding it steady to prevent any further damage to his person. She was filled with so much fire, fire he knew would die if she left his safety and comfort.

His defiantly would. He needed her to stay.

His angel. His Golden Sunshine.

He kissed her. She felt numb, the flesh on flesh having no affect on her at first. She was numb after all, unfeeling to the world and to what he was giving her. Yet, as the heat from him thawed out her frozen lips, she felt something more than just his harmless advances. The way his arms circled her waist, the circles his fingertips made on lower back as he pulled her close to him, it wasn't meaningless.

It was affection. He felt something real towards her. And slowly she felt the same heat surge through her being.

_He's not Kakashi. _She warned herself. _Don't be afraid of him, just be aware._

Just as she let this thought sink in, he pulled away. Or at least tried to before Anko leaned forward and bit his lower lip to pull him back into a kiss, causing him to hiss.

She deepened what he had started, bruising his tender lips until they turned pale. He began to meet her with his own coarseness. What they were doing soon became a battle for dominance, as was everything they did. She squeezed his back, trying to knock the air out of him. He began to wheeze and picked her up, pushing her into the opposing wall.

She gasped, this roughness feeling all too familiar. "Wait, wait!" she forced his mouth away from her. "Stop you won!"

He smirked, but once he saw that look of anxiety on her face, he respected her wishes and set her down. "My apologies."

She held on to his sleeves to prevent him from pulling away. She looked up at him, the light in his eyes shining as brightly as her own. A cold gust of wind blew against them, causing Anko to shiver now that she didn't have Orochimaru's heat to keep her warm.

"I want to go home." she whispered.

"Very well." he said with a nod. "I'll get Nagato and we'll-"

"Forget them right now." she grabbed his arms and tried to pull him along but he would not relent.

"It's ten blocks Anko." he reminded her.

"I can high-jack a car, or we can walk. Which do you want?"

He sighed but had to stifle a laugh. "Will you thaw me out if I freeze to death?"

She smirked in a naughty sort of fashion. "I will do more than that."

**.,.,.,.,.,.,.**

**I am just not good with updates, am I?**

**I know I haven't had anyone clawing their wrists for an update, but I apologize non the less. Part 2 of this chapter should be out in a day or two, as soon as I work my way around this damn smut scene and find-**

**Whoops! 8D Did I say that out loud?**

**Chapter 9: **

"_I care Anko!"_

"You fucking liar!"

"_I won't hurt you; I promise!"_

"You son of a bitch!"

"_You can trust me. Haven't I proven my worth yet?"_


	9. I Hate You pt 2

Whoa For Evee, who would have been 19 as of October 13.

And For Ocean Eve, who I wouldn't have continued this story without.

/././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././

The words that came out of Anko's mouth buzzed through her head during the cold trip back to the apartment. She couldn't stop looking at him, a weight landing in her stomach at the thought of him pulling her aside and do whatever he wanted with her, or yet, she pushing him into the snow and having her way with him.

It was confusing and frightening, yet left a settling comfort in the pit of her stomach. She glanced back and he was watching her. He smirked and look away and it seemed like it was Anko's nature to be unsure.

They reached the apartment complex. Orochimaru let them in and Anko jumped up and down to stomp the snow off her flats. They stood apart awkwardly as Orochimaru removed his scarf.

She trotted upstairs, him closely in pursuit. The thought of being alone with him suddenly made her stomach flutter with apprehension. She cursed herself for being such a school girl! For goodness sake she was sharing a bed with the guy the first half of her stay with him, sleeping in two different rooms shouldn't be complicated!

Anruku hissed on their entry, and Anko snarled at her in response.

"Be mature." Orochimaru coaxed to the snake as he lifted her effortlessly from her glass case. He began to undo the buttons of his shirt to reveal his pale muscled body.

"Weirdo." Anko called as she slipped off her shoes and pondered upstairs to escape Orochimaru's little strip show.

The bedroom was cold as it and the rest of the house had been since the heating system mysteriously blew out. She braced the goose bumps and tried to reach for the zipper of her dress.

She hissed as she twisted and turned in the material. She finally growled in frustration and tried to rip the material off.

"Need some help?"

Anko glared at the interloper leering at her from the doorway. "Bloody complicated dress."

He stepped forward and pulled her claws away from the material. "Hold still before you rip it."

She obeyed for once and heard the sound of her zipper before feeling his eyes fingers trace her shoulder blades. She tried not to ponder on how warm and smooth his chest felt against her back.

"You have a tattoo?"

Anko's eyes widened and she struggled to relieve herself of his gaze but he was already pulling the flap open just enough for him to whisper the haunted name on her shoulder.

"Hadden M. Who is he, someone I should know about?" he chuckled as Anko twirled out of his arms but the fun stopped when he saw the dead expression on her face.

"It was my dad." She said bitterly. She turned slowly and let the dress drop to her mid-back so that he could see the other Arial name on her opposite shoulder. "Evee K. M. is my mom." She resisted the urge to clasp onto the names but failed. "A tattoo artist owed me a favor, and this was all I wanted from him." she looked away and blinked the tears back. "All I wanted were my parents names."

Orochimaru stood stunned. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

She shrugged. "Luckily for you, I'm not in the mood to cuss you out tonight." She flopped down on the bed, uncaring that the dress was revealing more and more of her.

He sat next to her hesitantly. He made the world's biggest conclusion right then on the great mystery that was Anko Mitarashi. She didn't hate him and cops because of what they had done to her, but what they had taken from her. He couldn't directly relate, but he knew what it was like to feel like you had nothing.

"Did you ever find out what happened to them?"

A string of curses was hot on her tongue but she chilled them. "No." she stated coolly.

"I could you know." he stated. "I could look them up and find out where they are, if you wanted me to of course."

Her heart leaped at this. Could he really find her parents or was he just trying to give her some false hope to hold onto?

"No." she answered. "I don't think I want to know."

He nodded understandably.

Anko looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He knew her now like a book; she had no other secrets. Yet she had just barely scratched at the core of him. What else was there to the story of him that Konan told her?

"So," she spoke after a moment of awkward silence, "we've had a few weeks to get to know each other," she noticed his glance and pressed on. "Well, for you to get to know me," he shot away, obviously seeing where she was heading.

"And, I thought maybe…we could work on you a little bit?"

He was still, his body tensing.

She sighed. "Look, whatever you did in the past can't be nearly as bad as the shit I've done."

A slither of a smile oozed on his lips. "Ironically dearie, you're a saint compared to me."

She actually snorted at that. "That is the hugest understatement I've heard in my life. Come on," she nudged her shoulder with his, "What'd you do?"

He looked like he was going to be sick. He looked at her with the intention of telling her that it was none of her fucking business. But her look of pure compassion and concern stopped him. It was the same expression he had each time he tried to get her to open up, and it had just as much affect on him as it did her.

"What age were you when you became sexually active Anko?"

Her nose scrunched up at the question. "Seventeen."

He nodded in satisfaction. "I was eight."

She almost fell off the bed. "Eight! My God man who the Hell were you doing to get you in the bed at that age?"

He was very quiet, very still, almost as if he were stilling off for death. He glanced at her, catching her awaiting expression. "I…"

She watched his fingers grip the bedspread until they were bright pink. "I was born into something I shouldn't have been-something no one should ever be in."

She nodded, remembering Konan's story. "How bad we talking?" She pressed even though she was more than aware just how terrible it was.

He smirked, ghostly nervousness making his jaws ache. "Tell me Anko, have you ever been fucked in the ass?"

Odd question. "Yeah; hurt like Hell." she stated casually but with the weight of a stone in her throat.

He nodded all knowingly. "Now my dear girl, imagine being fucked in said ass every miserable fucking day of your life, blood oozing from places you didn't even know were supposed to bleed, pain and that slight prick of pleasure becoming the only things you know how to feel...got an image?"

She nodded, though the only image she had at the moment was his seething smirk and the pinch of insanity deep in his gold-shot eyes.

"Well darling, with that image, imagine a boy maybe eight years old, pale from never laying eyes on the sun, and hair and skin so grimy you'd need a snow shovel to scrape it all off."

She cringed slightly at the venom in his voice. It was justifiable anger however and would not try to stop him.

"I'm taking a wild guess," Anko said slowly and quietly, "that this child…was you?"

He visibly tensed, the flares in his eyes sparking a whole knew kind of fire.

She bit her lip and chastised herself. _Smooth Anko._

"It's alright," she said in the most tender from of comfort she could muster.

He jumped away from her touch, pacing, and muttering words she couldn't hear.

"Orochi?"

"Do you know who was responsible for it?" he hissed, his back to her. He rested his hands on the counter

Anko stared at the transparent skin of his back. She could just barely make out silver scars that symbolized what he had truly gone through. She could feel some of her own burning at the very sight of them.

"I'm guessing some real asshole. Possibly some fat pedophile."

His head lifted and he stared at her from the mirror. The loved the way Anko could make light of a serious situation yet not make it into a huge quip. He loved her anyway, that much had become too obvious, to him at least. That is why he had to protect him. She was his heart and his laughter, two things he had lost until he threw her into the snow that day.

His broken chuckle added to his trembling. "You're right on the pedophile part dearie, not too much so on the physical description. He's become quite weak, actually…"

"He's alive?" Anko gasped in astonishment.

Orochimaru continued to stare at her through the glass. "And too damn well."

Her head cocked slightly to the side in question. She tried to glue the pieces together then. The bastard was alive, and by the way Orochimaru was speaking of him, still very much in his life.

Nagato was her first candidate. At least then she'd have a potential reason to kick his cancerfied ass. Yet it didn't seem to fit some of the other categories. They seemed rather cheeky, though slightly estranged, and no where near enemy level.

Jiraiya was out of the question. Konan had said that he and Orochimaru had been in the same boat at one point.

He was staring at her, his bloodshot eyes demanding her to figure it out.

She stared at him as well. If she had a bottle, a glass one with a tight cork top, she'd rip his pain out and stuff every drop of it inside of it. Until she could find a bottle to hold it, she would have to look deep into her subconscious to find out who's eyes she was going to gorge out.

Parents? No; he said he'd always been alone.

Itachi or Deidara? Hell to the damn no.

Someone he hated. Someone who's been haunting him. Someone who was out to get him-

"No…"

He chuckled weakly. "Damn that too you too long."

"Hiruzen? That prickly old man?"

Orochimaru decided that the wood of the dresser was more appeasing to look at than her.

"That…that's so bizarre."

His fingernails clawed into the wood and he smirked. "Old men need hobbies; apparently becoming a commissioner was a great alternative to being a traffic pimp."

"Colorful vocabulary there."

"He would use anyone-even three orphans who were emancipated and flea-eaten. He would even had used-" he stopped and his eyes shot up. "You."

"What? Orochi, he wouldn't have-"

He shot around and pointed at her. "That's why he wanted you then!" he shouted accusingly. "He wants to use you!"

"Orochimaru calm down!"

He didn't. He unrelentingly kept shooting all kinds of garbage at her, some that was directly towards her, and others that were more or less at himself and Hiruzen. She flinched at each cures and each slam on the dresser that he delivered. Strong, fiery Anko was cowering behind vulnerable Anko and vulnerable Anko had no choice but to sit on the bed, fists curled into the sheets, and take dear friend's rants.

He finally did it.

He finally snapped.

Broke.

Chewed on the straw that broke the camel's back.

He knew he had no right or reason to yell at Anko and that he was in for an ass whooping sooner or later, but he was too enraged to stop.

He couldn't do anything but scream.

Shake.

Breath.

Break.

His arm shot out and knocked several items off the dresser. He grabbed the chair blanketed with clothes and threw it against the mirror, beating it over and over again, destroying his reflection.

"You fucking monster!" he screamed.

Anko stood and watched him destroy his side of the room.

"You son of a bitch! You can't have her! YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!"

She lost all want of her safety and grabbed his arm and squeezed it hard. "Hey. Hey stop that! Look at me!" She spun him around and cupped the sides of his face, leveling their faces so that her eyes were the only darkness he saw.

He gaped at her wide eyes. How could she love a monster like him?

"Stop." she whispered with a smile. "It's okay. I got you. I'm not going anywhere!"

She had him? She wasn't leaving? Those words were just too good to be true. Her hands ran up and down arms in a soothing notion. She was real and not disappearing any time soon.

His own shaky hand reached out to cup her face. Her smile widened and he could have sworn those were stars in her eyes.

All this time he thought she was the one who was falling…

Without giving the consequences a single thought, he pulled her to him and kissed her passionately.

She froze. It took her mind a moment or so to translate what was happening and when it did she pushed him back, not threateningly but enough to keep him steady. "Whoa-WHOA-hang on just a second!"

"Why…" he whispered in husks as his hands roamed her back. "What's wrong-"

"What's wrong? You're making out with me fool!"

His jaw locked and his eyes portrayed an unreadable expression. Soon though, he simply smiled and cupped her jaw. "Yes, now if you don't mind I was enjoying it intensely so-"

She ducked under his arms and put a few feet between them. "I…I can't…I'm sorry."

He didn't release her. His grip wasn't threatening or obsessive but lonely and needful.

"We're quite the pair, aren't we Anko dear?"

She snorted. "Who knew when I took your offer I would have found you just as screwed up as me."

"Darling, no one is as screwed up as you."

She buried her head in his chest and wailed with laughter; she could feel his chest humming with his own. She remains there for a moment, safe in his arms and scent of snow and misery. Despite the similarities in their pasts, she couldn't compare her pain to his. She had only been used once, being a toy was his way of life. She wouldn't do that to him, she vowed. She would never hurt him the way he had been hurt before. He wasn't just the cop she loved and hated anymore. He was her soul, her laughter, and she was determined to take good care of him.

She noticed then that he had stopped moving. She looked up and saw a brightness in his eyes that had never been there before tonight.

"What are you thinking?" she asked him.

He tilted his head and smiled. "I'm thinking I have just fallen for you Miss Mitarashi."

Something happened to Anko that she thought only happened in the books she stole from the library. Her heart literally filled with warmness and she became overjoyed to the brim. He wanted her! He hadn't made the moves Kakashi had or said the things he had, he just simply out and said it. And even now, minutes after he said those faithful words, he hadn't made any further advances except for the gentle face rub she was receiving.

But Anko, too happy to hold back, had other plans. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him in for a bruising kiss.

He was taken wide-eyed and taken aback by her sudden boldness but didn't wait a second more to respond.

He pressed against her with such audacity that she had to sit on the bed to remain stable. She grabbed him and pulled him up the bed with her. She ran her lips over every inch of his upper body, jolting each time his hands ran up her ribs.

He began to suck on her neck, creating a trail of painless red welts that made her gasp.

"I thought," he husked as he bruised her, "that…you…didn't…want…this…"

He grabbed his nape and pulled him up for air. "Maybe I wanted…to make…the first…move…" she rasped.

He dove back down for another kiss but she restrained him.

"Promise me."

"Promise you what sweetheart?"

She gripped his shoulders and kept their gaze. "Promise me, when I wake up in the morning, Hell if this is even real…that nothing will have changed between us. We'll still be _us, _no hatred or remorse between each other."

He saw the fear in the whites of her eyes and felt his body lurch. Sex wasn't just some physical nothing to her, it was emotional and deep. He had never had those kinds of feelings over it but was more than certain Anko could change his mind.

"Oh…" he rubbed her cheek affectionately, lovingly. "Sweetheart…I promise."

.,.,.,.,.,

He was cold, but the numbness spreading over his body blocked out the worst of it. It had been about two weeks since he had seen Anko and a little longer since he had been beaten by cops, had a spasm in a jail house, and barely survived getting hit by Ino's car, not to mention the almost-rape on Deidara's part. He was still injured and possible still walking around with broken ribs or blood cot bombs in the process.

However, the image of Anko's smile pushed him more swiftly through his recovery than any of the pills Ino had been laying out in sets for him to indulge on. He knew well that it was the closest thing she could muster to apologizing. He didn't even open them. He would tolerate that blond harlot, but he would never even think about giving her a second chance.

Deidara was a slightly similar case. Despite how uncanny things had been between them lately, Deidara was still his best friend and there was little if anything at all that could tear them apart.

The blond, who just happened to be walking into the run down house they dared called a home, would seriously beg to differ.

"You could have at least started a fire." Deidara grouched as he went to retrieve the box of matches from the mantle.

Itachi hummed, too tired to deal with his bitterness.

"You've barely spoken to me in weeks." Deidara stated as he set fire to a piece of paper.

"You're not still mad at me, aren't you?"

Itachi smirked from his place on the worn couch. "Hardly. I've just had…other things on my mind."

The match in Deidara's fingers snapped. "Ah, and I suppose that bitch would be one of them." He knew that he had just stepped into dangerous waters, but it was the only way he could seem to get Itachi's attention now days.

And he did. Itachi rose as carefully as he could so that he could sit up; he was too weak to stand. "What have I told you about-"

"Oh whatever. Let's not talk about her okay."

Itachi grinned. "Jealous?"

His teeth gnashed. "Of _her_?"

"I think you are. No, wait, you're not jealous of her, you're jealous of me."

"Ha! What do you have that I don't."

"Oh, let's see…dashing good looks, the ability to charm any one I set my eyes on-your dear auntie and uncle for one…"

Deidara glared at him. It was true, for some reason, his aunt and uncle, Ino's parents, seemed to prefer Itachi over him for whatever reason.

"…not to mention I have the interest of the most beautiful girl in the world."

The corniest of his words was enough to make Deidara gag, however, he suppressed his hatred long enough to smirk and recall a certain tale Ino had told him this morning.

"I'm sure you're not the only one she's been," he grabbed a chair from the crooked table they own and turned it so that he could straddle it in front of Itachi, "_giving_ her much wanted attention to."

Itachi's eyebrow arched in question. "What the Hell are you insinuating?"

"I?" Deidara gawked too innocently to be believable. "Nothing at 'tall, I'm just giving you the details on the latest gossip concerning out dear Anko, who Ino and I have so generously been keeping an eye on for you."

IF he could feel his arms, Itachi would have probably jumped up and chocked him. "I told you to stay away from her."

"I have not stepped a foot in her direction, I assure you. Just…watched her from afar, acted as a guardian angel if you will."

"Undertaker is more like it." Itachi growled. "Now what are you blabbing on about?" he paled slightly. "Is she okay."

"Ecstatic." Deidara chuckled. "Glowing really."

"Deidara, get fucking to it!"

"Chill." Deidara began to rock, earning daggers where his heart was. "Last night Ino and her family when out to dinner at that little tacky rich folks restaurant, no surprise there."

"The one we're always kicked out from?"

"Bingo! Any who, while she was there, scanning for victims, she happened to spot a very well dressed Anko storming to the nearest exit with a very well-tailored man trailing behind her."

His heart began to pound. "So what?"

"Ino, being the concerned citizen that she is, followed them to the roof in case they needed…mediating."

Itachi rolled his eyes, knowing good and well what kind of mediating Ino would have on a cold night on top of a private roof.

"She didn't need to however," Deidara giggled, "the man she was with," he licked his lips, "the one who she's been living with for quite sometime now, so graciously relieved her tension by locking lips with her."

Itachi could only stare at him. It had to be a mistake. Anko **hated** that man, she said so herself. There was no way she would…

"You're lying." Itachi hissed. It was all part of his sick mysterious plot to keep him from ever seeing Anko again.

"Ino has pics." Deidara said casually. "You know what a pervert she is."

Itachi twitched. Anko couldn't have.

She hated that man.

She liked him.

He loved her.

It was all a misunderstanding.

It had to be.

But then why was he so hurt?

"I'm leaving." he whispered. Little was his pain as he stood, stiff muscles coming alive and inactive nerves tingling from lack of use.

Deidara whistled. "Go get her stronghold." Itachi did not respond as he fled into the frosty night. The smirking blond was alone now with only the crackles of the flames and the shadows as his company. But he didn't mind. He'd have Itachi all to himself after tonight.

All to himself.

_Let's see you get him back after this you little bitch!_

.,.,.,.,.

He fell back in one sweaty heap. She rolled off of him a moment later, stared at him, her mouth twitching for words but finding none. She felt a vibration under her hand and sat up, finding him shaking lightly despite the warmth coming from his skin.

"Orochimaru?"

He grinned warily and kissed the palm of her hand. "I'm f-fine."

She smirked. "And I got you." she pulled herself to his side, laying her head over his heart and let her hand rub over his smooth abdominal. He shaky lips kissed the top of her forehead and ran his hand over her back until her movements stopped to signify her slumber. When he heard her soft snoring, he scooted down to be equal with her body. He watched her face, peaceful and free of stress for once. He ran his finger over her eyes, and her nose, and the raw skin of her lips.

She was human.

Not a sexaholic monster.

Not evil.

Just a living, breathing, human girl who would never use him the way they both had been.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, determined that she would not go anywhere.

"I'm keeping you."

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Anko groaned, her body sore but her spirit alive. She stretched out to giver her nerves and muscles a wake up and hit her leg against something, well, rather someone.

"A little less abuse this early in the morning please."

She stilled for a moment, a flash flood of memories zipping through her mind. She glanced down at his closed eyes and smirking lips. She couldn't quite conceal her own as she grabbed the pillow under her and pressed it into his face. He was there with her, smiling and apparently happy that she was there too.

"You bastard! I hate you!"

His fingers wrapped around her fists and managed to return his air supply without much difficulty. "Odd, you seemed to love me last night."

She wanted to hit him again. His pain always seemed to ease her insecurities. Yet seeing him here, lying on his stomach with his long hair flowing all over his shoulders and back, all she wanted to do was hold him. She laughed and laid back down beside him, throwing her arm over his back as a sign of peace. He kissed her shoulder at this, eyes still closed. She didn't blame him for being tired. She hadn't exactly been gentle with him and for an acuity of reasons. She wouldn't dare give him the chance to hurt her first, to betray her trust in a flash and turn into another Kakashi. She may have been sexually inexperienced, but she knew how to inflict pain with something as simple as a light clawing.

Secondly, he had excited her to much for both their safety. Every kiss and touch sent adrenaline coursing through her body and she had to use it.

"So," she hummed as she placed apologetic kisses on the thing cuts she had inflicted on his smooth shoulders, "any…regrets."

His smirk broadened as she advanced over his back. She was so skilled and didn't even realize it.

She slide back beside him.

"Squirmy this morning, aren't you dearie." he chuckled a she ran her hand up and down his spine."

"Still," she leaned in and pecked his lips, "just…a little…excited."

He slipped his hand behind her neck and pulled her in for a solid kiss. He felt her sooth his hair into a more manageable state, which seemed absolutely absurd considering that it would be in a worst state at the rate they were going.

"Any regrets?"

She nuzzled his neck. "Not exactly great pillow talk there snakey."

He added some space between them, smiling firmly. "I need to know."

She sighed, her stomach filling with those damn needles that let her know some kind of Hell was about to break loose. But as she actually thought on his question, she couldn't find any faults. He had been good to his word and was still being good to it as of now.

"Not a thing." she replied. "You?"

He responded with a heated kiss that answered anything else she could have said. "Just that we can't do this all the time."

She gave his lip a stinging bite. "Who says?"

He licked the wound. "Our beloved landlords." his teasing eyes dimmed for a moment and he put on his "cop" face as Anko had deemed it. It was an expression that involved all traces of a smile disappearing and only a sulky line remained. "You worried them a good bit you know." they probably don't even know we're here."

"They can come look." she giggled. "I'd love to see the look on red-heads face."

"You little vixen." he growled with another kiss. "We…should….see…them…"

Their gentle kisses caresses turned violent and the idea of getting up was thrown out the window. No way was any of them leaving that bed.

"Not yet though." she moaned.

"Oh yeah." he groaned, turning her on her back.

.,.,.,.

It was mid-noon when Anko finally convinced him to role out of bed so that they didn't emancipate in their oily sheets and slick skin. He was like a child with their first ice cream cone: he had a taste and couldn't stop _licking_ until the thing was nothing more than a soggy piece of waffle.

A very interesting shower experience and a threat or two later, Anko managed to persuade him to come downstairs with her to find something to eat. The pickings were slim but they managed to find some oatmeal and a banana to munch on. Of course, Orochimaru's appetite was more solely for a girl who was being swallowed by the shirt she wearing.

Anko had always had a strong will power. When she was a child and saw all the candies and toys that every little girl dreamed for, she bit her lip and continued down the salty road with her mother. When she was a teenager and she wanted drugs, she settled for a box of razors and eventually forgot the want altogether. But now she was 19 and had a very sex man kissed her neck as she tried to pour herself a glass of milk. Her resolve was crumbling like the couple was to the floor.

"Oh come on Orochi, the floor?!"

He chuckled against her neck as he sucked on her collarbone while he undid the buttons of her shirt. "Just go with it love."

And just when she was about to do so, a knock stilled the couple for a split second before the male party growled. "Go away!"

She popped him gently and pried herself from his grip. He fought to pull her back, pleading that she allow the distraction to fly away, but the knocking continued and that fantasy was little to none.

She threw the door open and was surprised-as well as embarrassed due to the state of her clothing. "Hey Jiriaya!" she greeted a bit too loudly for such a quiet afternoon as she redid the buttons.

"Hey Anko." Jiraiya responded soberly, too soberly for someone like Jiraiya.

Anko noticed his crestfallen expression but said nothing of it. "Come on in." She allowed him entry before shutting the door. "Yo, Orochimaru, you got a guest!"

Orochimaru's head poked from behind the wall. His smile vanished and he glared at his work association. "Jiraiya, good morning."

Jiraiya sighed. "It is morning, but I can't say it's a good one, old friend."

Orochimaru gave him a look. "What is it?"

Jiraiya glanced at Anko and to Orochimaru. "Something's come up, and…"

Orochimaru tried to bare into his soul, but for once, Jiraiya was unreadable. "Is it Hiruzen?"

Jiraiya sighed. "Not this time."

Orochimaru rolled his eyes, disappointed. "Then what the bloody Hell is it?"

Anko stared at the arguing men. She felt as if she had zero purpose in their conversation and had half a mind to go back to her coffee. However, there was something about the way Jiraiya's eyes kept coming back to her that kept her rooted.

"Hiruzen's brought up an old case," he arched his neck in Anko's direction, "and she's a suspect."

"What!?" both Orochimaru and Anko exclaimed.

"How the fuck is that possible? What the Hell did I do?"

Jiraiya hesitated in placing a shaky hand on her shoulder. She resisted, as he knew she would, but he made another attempt as he spoke. "Does the name Kakashi Hatake mean anything to you?"

Anko instantly paled.

Jiraiya wished he had been hit by a car, incarcerated, and killed early this morning. If he had, he wouldn't have to interrogate this poor girl, wouldn't have tear her away from his friend like this. "He was killed about three years ago in a house fire. Somehow your name got thrown in and we just want to-"

Anko shot away from Jiraiya's comforting hands. "Who the fuck told you that!?" she boomed. "No one is supposed to know about that; who told you!?"

Jiraiya's eyes dodged from the infuriated Anko to Orochimaru, who's eyes boar into him with malice and a look that screamed _"Don't fucking look at me you idiot; she'll know!"_

But Anko did know, and her anger stirred in with hurt. She looked to Orochimaru with fiery eyes. "You!" she spat, as she approached him. "You did this! You sold me out!"

Orochimaru was backed into the counter, gripping the edges for dear life as Anko got right in his face. "Anko I didn't-" if he hadn't been gripping the wedges, he would have flew to the floor from the force of Anko's slap.

"You bastard!" she began to beat him with her curled, soon blood-stained fists, "I trusted you! I fucking trusted you!"

"_I care Anko!"_

"You fucking liar!"

"_I won't hurt you; I promise!"_

"You son of a bitch!"

"_You can trust me. Haven't I proven my worth yet?"_

Something grabbed one of her fists, putting an end to her torment. She shot around to shoot daggers at the person, Jiraiya.

"Stop." he whispered, his eyes wide with fear and questions only she could answer.

She looked back at the man who had betrayed him. The sight of blood on his flawless face, the very face she had been so close to the night before, somehow drenched the fire in her heart.

She was not sorry.

She would never be sorry for hurting him after what he had done.

Jiraiya grasped her other arm and swung her around. He held up a pair of shiny handcuffs. "Don't make this hard, okay?"

She wanted to put up a fight, to kick and scream until they were both spent, but she found her motivation dying away. She felt humiliated and dirty, all thanks to Orochimaru. She held out her arms and allowed Jiraiya to put the cuffs on her.

"We're just going to ask you some questions, maybe we can clear this all up." he tried to be kind, but it was wasted on Anko right now.

Orochimaru lunged and grabbed Jiraiya's shoulder. "This is a-"

Anko slammed her knee into his stomach. "Fuck off ! I don't want your help!"

"Let's go!" Jiriaya lugged Anko out of the room before she could cause anymore damage to the wounded Orochimaru. She struggled in his grip slightly so that she could glare at him, the tears she kept forced back turning her eyes red.

"Anko," Orochimaru gasped as he composed himself. A bruise was forming on his stomach and he was certain she had busted his liver, none of which he cared about. "Anko I'm sorry, I don't know what happened but I'm so sorry!"

"I hate you." she mutter over and over as Jiraiya guided her through the lobby.

"Anko?" Konan gasped. Nagato lifted his head from his morning papper and seemed equally surprised. "What happened?" he called after them, getting nothing but a slammed door as an answered.

Jiraiya helped Anko into the police car, closing the door before Konan and Nagato could ambush her. He held a conversation with them, explained the minor details of the situation, but Anko blocked out the rest.

He had lied to her.

Used her.

Broken what little compassion she had left and crushed it into ash.

That was it then. He had proven that there was no one in the world that she could trust anymore, no one she could love. They were all a load of traitors and liars.

Jiraiya jumped into the car and stepped on gas. "Crazy landlords you have there." he commented with dull humor. He looked into the rearview mirror and didn't even see a crack of a line on her lips. He looked back toward the road. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I think you're completely innocent." Now he got a reaction; a scoff.

"Just shut up and drive."

He closed his lips and did as he was told. "What did Kakashi Hatake do to you?"

Anko gritted her teeth together. "The same thing your little buddy back there did." she grinned slightly. "He fucked me, so I fucked him right back."

.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Ino hummed a peaceful tune as she dressed herself in clean clothing, steadying the heavy towel she used to soak up the water in her hair from her shower. Her companion however was still lying in their filth on the bed.

"Honestly Deidara," Ino scoffed, "you could at least take a shower."

Deidara blinked from his trance and smirked. "Why? You usually go for a spontaneous round two."

She chuckled as she dropped her bathrobe and surprised him by actually slipping some clothes on. "Sorry to disappoint you darling, but I'm not in the mood tonight."

He scooted over so that he would not be crushed when she flopped down beside him. "What's eating you?" he inquired upon seeing a sour expression similar to his.

She pouted. "I'm still a little pissed about the whole Anko thing." the pout quickly turned into a rage-filled protest. "I mean seriously; who the fuck does she think she is?" she sat up, holding her knees. "I threw myself at her, what kind of lame-brain idiot would pass up that kind of opportunity?"

"Someone who's not a total slut." He healthy laughter was instantly silenced with Ino's pillow.

"Call me that one more time and I'll be a plastic bag I put over your head!" she yells as she throws the pillow to the end of the bed.

He coughs and grins. "Right, whatever." he pushes himself up on his elbows and reached over her for the remote to switch the television on. Almost instantly the annoyingly passive voice of the lady reporter started blearing.

"…_and just in; a closed case from almost three years has been reopened. Officials are being lock-lipped on the matter, but a Channel 4 source has informed us that the sole suspect is no other than Anko Mitarashi, a delinquent who has had a run into the law more than once. She is currently in the custody of the Konoha police force and will be tried if the evidence of her trial is-"_

Deidara pressed MUTE and sat in silence with Ino.

"Oh God." Ino snorted. "I didn't think she was capable of something like that!"

Deidara smirked. "She's pretty badass, psychotic too apparently."

Ino shrugged. "I can't wait to see Itachi lose his shit over this."

Deidara's expression became sour over Ino's choice of words. Itachi cared more about that traitorous stranger than him; and they had known each other for years! He couldn't understand it; what did he see in her? She didn't offer companionship like he did,

The sound of a roaring engine pulled Deidara from his trance. Ino was at the window glaring at the scene below. Deidara shot up just in time to see Itachi speeding out of the Yamanaka driveway in Ino's car.

"That son of a bitch!" she hissed, pushing Deidara aside to regain some more appropriate clothing. "Get your pants on Deidara we're going to jail!"

_.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,._

_Betrayed Me _

_Played Me_

_Slayed Me_

_Hurt Me Like I've Never Been Hurt Before_

_Disowned Me For The Only People You Decided You Wanted In Your Life More_

_Made Your Bed Now Lie In It But_

_Don't Wake Up You_

_Stupid Bitch…_


End file.
